Topic: Help with identification

[Wuff]

I am posting the following images on behalf of an ebay seller, who would be pleased to read your comments on possible maker or at least region - any idea?

[ahremck]

Looks to say BSS 1999  434 which I interpret to mean:-
   BSS = B S Studio - uncertain who B S might be but I suspect it might be USA based
   1999 = Year made
& 434 = the 434th item for the year.

Good luck finding out who BS refers to.

Ross

[RAY]

its a funny one,  BS 1999 looks like it been etched by a child when the 434 has been done neatly, but it does have a caithness look to it

[chriscooper]

Is it confirmed Caithness? the ebay listing says it is.

Chris

[ahremck]

Can't find anything like it for 1999 in Colin Terris's book and BS does not match any designer or engraver initials shown in Mark Hill's book.  I think it looks very American to me.

Ross

[chriscooper]

If it is the one listed on ebay the description implies it's signed Caithness and states Caithness in the item specifics with a start price of £49 and ending tomorrow.

Chris

[rosieposie]

I just wish sellers would not put items under category headings that may not relate to the item being sold.  Why is this is Caithness Category?  I also can't see any 'fish', so what is that all about?  It is a magnificent paperweight in its own right.

[Wuff]

Thank you for all your comments so far.

As some were clever enough to find the ebay auction - let me explain in a bit more detail. When I came across the auction during my regular search for Scottish paperweights I felt this was likely not a Caithness weight (not only that I couldn't find it in my database, the signature including a year would be quite unusual for Caithness). So I contacted the seller about the attribution and got as response that this was mostly guessing - BUT - the seller showed interest in a correct identification: this has to be commended, as it is not always the case (right now another seller is insisting that his Perthshire PP1 is Victorian - stating in the response that several other people have pointed out this mis-identification before!).

I recommended to ask here - and offered as alternative to post the question, if permission to use the images was given (to have the images in the post after deletion on ebay) - which was given.

Now back to the weight: as others I assumed the "1999" to indicate the year of manufacture. Whilst Caithness has produced several fairly "modern" designs more recently, I don't think the weight has a "Caithness 1999 look" - but might be wrong, of course.

Further comments are therefore most welcome!