Mercury Toothpick Holder (paliteiro) In Partially Gilded Silver - Porto, Between 1853 And 1861

Toothpick holder ("Paliteiro")
Porto, between 1853 and 1861
Solid silver partially gilded
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Total height: 18.5 cm
Weight: 253 g
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Mercury, with his winged helmet and ankles, his right leg on a globe, holds a purse in his left hand.
The caduceus in his right hand is missing.
The helmet, purse and globe are in gilded silver [wear, especially on the helmet].
The globe is screwed onto a column, attached to the square terrace with very good quality embossed foliage decoration.
The terrace is set on four lion's paws.
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- Porto hallmark, controller Caetano Rodrigues de Araújo, used from 1853 to 1861 [VIDAL p.11, n°102]
- Control stripe
- Unidentified goldsmith's hallmark [initials MJG, see VIDAL p. 148, n°1444]
- Unidentified B mark on the terrace.
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Very good general condition.
The missing caduceus can be replaced with a toothpick.
Wear to the vermeil, especially on the helmet.
Small minor tears on the terrace, at the junction with the embossed decoration (see photo below and detail photo of hallmark B).
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Reference
Manuel Gonçalves Vidal, Marcas de Contrastes e Ourives Portugueses Desde o Século XV a 1950, Casa da Modea, Lisbon 1958