Diksmuide Around 1715-1730, Sterling Silver Stoup, Pieter Van Hecke, Zilver Diksmuide Wijwatervat

Very rare solid silver apartment stoup with the master's mark of Pieter van Hecke, master goldsmith in the small town of Dixmude near the border with what was once the kingdom of France. The goldsmiths of small towns such as Dixmude (Diksmuide), Veurne (Veurne), Nieuwpoort (Nieuwpoort) and Ostend had to have their works checked and hallmarked in Bruges, because there were too few of them to set up their own guild. However, duly hallmarked goldsmiths in these towns are very rare because often the local goldsmiths were content to strike only their master's mark as is the case here. Pieter van Hecke was admitted to the mastery by the Bruges goldsmiths' guild in 1715, as "buitenmeester", goldsmith outside the walls. In 1750 he was still active and replaced his master's mark. In the small town of Dixmude only two goldsmiths are listed in the first half of the eighteenth century. The holy water font weighs 185 grams.