A Cape silver sugar bowl and cover, unknown maker HNS, 18th century

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ZAR 170 013
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  • A Cape silver sugar bowl and cover, unknown maker HNS, 18th century
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ZAR 60 000 - 80 000
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ZAR 170 013
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About this Item

A Cape silver sugar bowl and cover, unknown maker HNS, 18th century
urn-shaped with beaded borders, the sides applied with a pair of rope-twist handles with foliate terminals, the semi-domed cover fitted with later hinge, surmounted by a bud-and-leaf finial repaired, on a spreading circular foot and square base, 360g
height: 14cm

Notes

Stamped 'HNS', this maker’s mark remains unattributed to a definitively identified Cape silversmith. Although the initials appear on a small group of late 18th-century Cape silver pieces, no archival record has conclusively linked them to a named silversmith. Some scholars have suggested a possible association with Daniel Heinrich Schmidt based on stylistic similarities and comparable secondary punches, but this remains unproven. The mark therefore continues to be catalogued as an “unknown maker”, a small but intriguing mystery within the study of Cape silver.

Similar marks can be seen here: Cape Silver Marks

Cape Silver Marks, The Silver Collector's Definitive Guide,

2026, HNS

Accessed: 16/02/2026

Provenance

Private Collection.

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Lot 251
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