Silver miniature milkman, A.F. Westerwaal, Amsterdam, c. 1910

Silver miniature of a milkman, made by the silversmith Adrianus Franciscus Westerwaal from Amsterdam. He was active from 1900-1921.

Westerwaal was known for his detailed silver dollhouse items and miniatures of everyday objects, vehicles, and furniture (such as high chairs, dog carts, coaches, and birdcages).

The miniature depicts a traditional transport cart (handcart) loaded with two detailed milk churns, pushed by a figure wearing classic headwear. 

Before the advent of the electric refrigerator, milk could not be stored for long. The milkman (often an independent milk vendor or a farmer's son) therefore had to daily go door-to-door to deliver fresh dairy products. The cart was loaded with large metal milk churns, each containing up to 30 or 40 liters of milk.

The milkman covered kilometers on foot daily, through all weathers, pushing or pulling the extremely heavy wooden or iron handcart.

The miniature is marked with the master's mark A3W and the sword mark for at least 2nd grade silver.

The miniature is in good condition.

Weight: 16.5 grams. Dimensions: 2.5 x 4 cm. 

Check out the blog about the silversmith A.F. Westerwaal from Amsterdam here