Silver brandy bowl, Obbe Ydema, Sneek, 1764

1. The new city mark of Sneek: In 1764, the Sneker city mark was officially changed. Where it previously consisted only of three crowns stacked on top of each other, the striking half-eagle was added from this year onwards. On this cup, this then 'super fresh' new mark can be admired in an incredibly sharp strike.
2. The threshold of the master mark: This object bears the very first master mark of the well-known silversmith Obbe Idema (master since 1741), consisting of the initials OI. This was the very last year that he struck this mark; from 1765 onwards he switched to his second master mark (OY), which he would use until the end of his career in 1773.

Obbe Ydema or Idema joined the guild as a master silversmith in Sneek in 1741. At that time, alongside Leeuwarden, Sneek was one of the most important centers for Frisian silversmithing. He had a long, successful career of over thirty years. Presumably, he stopped working or died around 1773, as his active silver production and the striking of his master mark cease in that year.

The brandy cup is crafted from prestigious first-grade silver (0.934). This is guaranteed by the Frisian provincial mark, the two characteristic lions above each other from the Frisian coat of arms, a mark that had been mandatory for this high grade since 1695. The cup exudes even more history thanks to the original, fine point engraving with the name of a former owner: Duttje Freeks.

• Weight: 188.4 grams
• Dimensions: 8 x 12 x 25 cm
• Fully marked: New city mark Sneek (1764), first master mark OI (Obbe Idema), Frisian provincial fineness mark (lions) and year letter M.
• Condition: The cup has restoration traces next to the handles and a break of approx. 1 cm, see the detailed photos for this.