Jugenstil WMF German Silver Plate Coffee Tea for 3 Demitasse Pot, Cups & Saucers

WMF - WURTTEMBERGISCHE METALLWARENFABRIK: In 1853, Daniel Straub, a miller from Geislingen, joined forces with the Schweizer Brothers to form the "Metallwarenfabrik Straub & Schweizer" in Geislingen. This was the second company to be founded by Straub - previously in 1850, from the nucleus of a small repair workshop, which he had set up to work on the construction of Geislingen's famous railway incline, he had founded the Maschinenfabrik Geislingen. This company was involved mainly in manufacturing mill turbines and traded throughout Europe. As early as 1862, the young company distinguished itself by winning a gold medal at the World Exhibition in London. In 1866, following the departure of the brothers Louis and Friedrich Schweizer, the company was renamed Straub & Sohn" (Straub & Son). The company showroom, built in 1868 in Berlin, gradually evolved to become the company's first retail outlet. Three years later, the company was already employing 60 workers. By 1880, the number of employees had grown to approximately 200 and the company was already producing 960 different items. 1880 saw the merger between Straub & Sohn and "Ritter & Co.", Esslingen, to form a public limited company under the name of Wurttembergische Metallwarenfabrik. At the time of the merger, Ritter & Co.'s Esslingen factory was already using the electroplating method of silver plating and had the more modern production facilities at its disposal. Straub's company, on the other hand, was the more profitable of the two. 1892 saw the development of a special technique for silver plating cutlery, whereby the silver is distributed in a way that, at the points of the cutlery most exposed to wear and tear, the coating is twice as thick as elsewhere. This process was patented and is still in use today. Known nowadays as 'Perfect Hard Silver plating' the technique remains exclusive to WMF. Under Carl Hugele the company gained international standing. At the turn of the century the factory in Geislingen employed 3,000 workers. By 1910, this number had already grown to 4,000, making WMF the largest company in Wurttemberg at this time. Sales catalogues were printed in twelve languages. Subsidiary companies in London, Warsaw and Vienna opened up export markets. Under the direction of Albert Mayer the WMF studio was influenced by the art nouveau style. The product range was modernized and considerably extended. In 1905 WMF acquired a majority holding of the Cologne company Orivit AG, which manufactured products from "Orivit", a tin alloy. As of 1925, products created by the Contemporary Decorative Products Department (NKA) made their debut on the market. This department was set up under the direction of Hugo Debach in order to establish the name of WMF amongst consumers interested in art and design. After the World War II the company had to rebuild itself. By 1950, WMF staff numbers had again swelled to 3,000. Silverplated tableware and cutlery accounted for two thirds of WMF's turnover, with shops specialising in clocks and watches, gold and silverware representing the company's main customers.

By 1960, the Geislingen factory alone employed around 5,800 workers. A shortage of space and manpower at this site led to the setting up of additional branch factories, like the factory in Hayingen and Riedlingen. The company has thrived and is still considered to be one of the leaders in its field to this day. Measurements Coffee Pot 246 grams 6.75" tall, 7" from front to back, 2.75" widest girth of pot Cups 56 grams each - together 17-g rams 3" from front to back, 2 1/8th" diameter bottom, 2" diameter mouths 1.75" (46mm) in height. Saucers vary between 60 and 62 grams each - total 182 grams - 4 1/8th" diameter, 1/2" tall Total weight before packing 600 grams

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*International/European Buyers ? could you PLEASE CONTACT US FOR A POSTAGE QUOTE BEFORE bidding-we would like to give you an exact quote if we can ? by Royal Mail Air Mail ? but bear in mind if the item is going to weigh over 2kg after packing we will have to use a Courier and there is often a steep increase in prices then ? we will be happy to quote for couriers too. Also please note: Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or P&P charges. These charges are the buyer?s responsibility. Please check with your country?s customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying.

• Condition: Antique Art Nouveau WMF Jugenstil German Silver Plated Demitasse Coffee Set - distinctive and beautiful, petite elegant small Coffee/Tea Pot with Rattan Handle & angular spout & matching set of 3 Cups & Saucers - all have a beaded trim, the handles of these squat shaped cups also have the beading and plump round base plinths, the saucers have wide raised rims - the design is extremely stylish - the underside of the pot is marked WMF and 97 and the inside of one of the saucers is also marked wmf - we believe these date to the late 19th or early 20th century and do have a Jugenstil style to them - WMF has been and still is a top German manufacturer - the quality of their plate wear and the unique process by which it is made is reknowned across the world -(for more about the maker see below)there is some tarnish and plate loss, but al the pieces are intact - a really lovely collectible set-please check photographs which form part of the description and do help -just lovely-see more below
• Brand: WMF
• Antique: Yes
• Composition: Silver Plate
• Product: Tea/ Coffee Pots/ Sets
• Style: Art Deco
• Material: Silver Plate
• Age: 1900-1940

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