Objects

We do not know what happened to the family of Jewish summer vacationers from Lodz who spent every summer with the Marciniak family before the war. Besides, we do not know what happened to the family of Jewish tradesmen who rented a room for the season from the Marciniak's relatives (who in time came to take care of the orphaned cutlery). Most probably both families ended up in the Lodz ghetto . We can also assume that their property was confiscated and at least some family members perished in the Holocaust.

The first of four dessert spoons has the punch "B.M.|POTR.SREBR" visible on the back of the handle. The abbreviation "B.M." means that the cutlery was made of the so-called "white metal" (an alloy with a predominance of tin). The inscription also informs us that the spoons were triple silver plated (abbrev. "potr. srebr"). The lack of a maker's signature indicates that a small factory produced the spoons. Each spoon is decorated with a plant appliqué in the middle of the handle visibly widening towards the bottom. The appliqué consists of two leaves (most likely maple) placed one below the other. On the sides, the bones of grape vines are seen. The end of the handle was beveled, creating three straight walls (half of a cube). The shape is emphasised by a groove along the edge of the handle. The groove converges above the appliqué in the shape of a triangle, thus creating a frame for it.

Marta Frączkiewicz