German silver-gilt figurine, Hanau, late 19th century

Table figurine in silver-gilt of a man, modeled as a peddler, with a wicker basket with a hinged lid hanging from his neck, in 16th-century style. His hat, clothes, and shoes are set with colored stones, and the head is removable.

Such figurines representing peddlers and other professions were a specialty of Hanau, very popular during the 1860s–1880s. The mark “13” visible on the base is undoubtedly of German origin.

Until the First World War, Hanau was the largest center for the production of very ornate, decorative, and handmade silverware. One can only admire the craftsmanship and skill of Hanau’s silversmiths.

Below we reproduce part of a text written by Mrs. Dorothea Burstyn, member of the Silver Society of Canada, whose mission is to deepen knowledge of antique and modern silverware:
«With the production of antique silverware, Hanau found a market niche that brought its silversmiths enormous prosperity and a worldwide reputation. The father of this craft was August Schleissner. The son of an old family of silversmiths, he apprenticed with his father, then worked as a journeyman for Antoine Vechte in Paris, where he perfected his chasing technique. Vechte was a virtuoso silversmith who excelled in chasing and embossing in the manner of the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1849, August Schleissner had to flee Germany because of his political activities.
After being pardoned by the German authorities, he returned to Hanau in 1861 and, with his brother, resumed the Schleissner company. He immediately introduced a line of antique reproduction silverware in Gothic, Renaissance, and Mannerist styles. Due to his superb craftsmanship, he quickly began receiving royal commissions. An eminently talented silversmith and skilled businessman, he was able to attract the most demanding clientele.
One of them was Baron Karl von Rothschild, who expressed his admiration by coining the term Schleissner Style.»