Hanau built a real reputation as a centre for German silverware through the late 19th century, and pieces made there were regularly exported to Britain, where they had to clear a separate import assay before being legally sold as silver. This dish shows exactly that process: made by Karl Kurz Silberwarenfabrik and hallmarked for Hanau in the 1890's, then imported by Samuel Boyce Landeck and fully assayed for Chester in 1902, giving it two distinct sets of marks rather than one.
The crescent form is embossed all over with a dense foliate and scroll design, and the centre carries a gallant scene, a courting couple shown as farmers rather than the more common aristocratic pairing, a nice bit of variation on a fairly standard decorative theme of the period. The shape and small scale suit either a ring dish or general trinket use on a dressing table.
