THE SPOON
Early spoons and their rarity--The Apostle spoon--The seal-top
spoon--The slipped-stalk spoon--The Puritan spoon--The Trifid
spoon--The lobed-end spoon.
From Elizabeth to the late Georges the range of spoons is a long one,
and comprehends, in the early days, classes that are prohibitive in
price for the pocket of the average collector. There are spoons and
spoons. From the early elaborations in Apostle, or Maidenhead, or
_lion-sejant_ forms to the later styles of rat-tail teaspoon or the
fanciful caddy-spoon there is choice enough to suit the idiosyncrasies
of most collectors. Indeed, it may be said that the collecting of
spoons is a thing apart. Silversmiths themselves became specialists
when they made spoons; the craftsmen were on a plane by themselves,
and so it comes to pass that the collector, following in their wake a
couple of centuries afterwards or more, has to give special study to
this branch of silver plate.
It is not necessary, to trace the antiquity of the spoon, to revert to
Roman days, to enumerate what has been found in Saxon graves, or to
wander through the mediæval period to show the use and development of
the spoon. It is sufficient, in the present volume, to take spoons as
found in the realm of collecting.
Practically this may be said to begin at the reign of Elizabeth, though
in 1903 a set of thirteen apostle spoons was sold at Christie’s, of
the reign of Henry VIII and having the London hall-mark for 1536, for
£4,900. But this is sensational.
There is no doubt that the most popular spoon of the Tudor period, that
is including the reigns of Henry VII (1485-1509), Henry VIII (1509-47),
Edward VI (1547-53), Mary (1553-58), and Elizabeth (1558-1603), was
the well-known apostle spoon. It is rare to find any examples before
1500. The oldest known is dated 1493. They were called apostle spoons
because each spoon was surmounted with a figure of one of the apostles
with his customary emblems, such as St. Peter with the key, St. John
with the cup of sorrow, etc. They were thirteen in number to make
a complete set--that is, the twelve apostles and the Master spoon,
bearing an image of Jesus Christ, although the thirteenth in some cases
was St. Paul. The study of apostle spoons does not begin or end with
English silver. They originated on the Continent, and the goldsmiths of
Nuremburg and of Paris, of Milan and of Madrid, fashioned them in like
form, each according to the traditions and technique of his school.
[Illustration: SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY SPOONS.
SLIPPED IN THE STALK.
1651.
PURITAN.
_c._ 1660 (Norwich).
CHARLES II FLAT STEM.
1665.
Showing changing form of bowl and handle.
(_At Victoria and Albert Museum._)]
It was apparently the custom in Tudor days to offer a set of these
spoons, or, if the donor were less rich, a fewer number, as a
christening gift. Sometimes only four were given, representing the
four evangelists. In modern days the gift of a christening spoon still
continues, though the spoon is shorn of its former apostle head. There
are many passages in the old English authors referring to this custom,
and numerous references in old wills bequeathing sets of these apostle
spoons as heirlooms. In Shakespeare’s _Henry VIII_, v. 2, Cranmer, who
declares his unworthiness to act as sponsor--is met with the rebuke
from the King: “Come, come, my lord, you’d spare your spoons.”
It is interesting to note the emblems usually found associated with the
different apostles. The following list will enable the collector to
identify the one from the other:--
St. Peter--with a key or a fish.
St. Thomas--a carpenter’s square or a spear.
St. Andrew--a transverse or saltire cross, on which he suffered
martyrdom.
St. John--a cup with a winged serpent.
St. Philip--a cross of varying form, usually on a long staff.
St. Bartholomew--a large knife, because he was flayed in his
martyrdom.
St. Matthew--a wallet or purse, or sometimes a spear or an axe.
St. Jude--a lance or a saw; sometimes a club.
St. James the Great--a pilgrim’s staff, as pioneer missionary.
St. Matthias--a halbert or an axe.
St. James the Less--a fuller’s pole, because he was killed by a
blow on the head dealt him by Simeon the fuller.
St. Simon Zelotes--a saw, in allusion to his martyrdom.
The thirteenth is either St. Paul with a sword, or the Master spoon,
with orb and cross and hand raised in blessing. Sometimes Judas
Iscariot takes his place in lieu of one of the others, usually of St.
Matthew with the purse; and St. Mark, in some sets, replaces St. Simon;
and St. Luke occurs in lieu of St. Matthias in others.
There is no doubt that apostle spoons have been largely sought after by
collectors as something desirable and antique. They have accordingly
been manufactured by the thousand to meet such a demand, and young
collectors cannot be too careful in accepting authenticity by word
of mouth from any seller. There are always the museum examples for
ready reference. They are in glass cases easy of access, and a close
inspection can be made at the Victoria and Albert Museum, which is
little short of actually handling the specimens. This remark applies
equally to seal-top and other older forms of spoons not frequently
handled by the beginner.
[Illustration: SEVENTEENTH AND EARLY EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY SPOONS.
APOSTLE SPOON.
St. Andrew.
1648.
SEAL-TOP SPOON.
1652.
TREFOIL-SHAPED TOP.
1703. Newcastle.
TREFOIL-SHAPED TOP.
1703. London.
Marked with Britannia and lion’s head erased.
The later spoons show the commencement of form of modern bowls.
(_By courtesy of Messrs. Crichton Brothers._)]
Sets of thirteen apostle spoons are very rare. There is Archbishop
Parker’s set at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and including the
rare Master spoon and also St. Paul with a sword, which spoon bears the
date mark for 1515, while the others are hall-marked 1566. There is the
Swettenham set, which belonged to the Cheshire family of that name,
hall-marked 1617. The Goldsmiths’ Company have a set with the hall-mark
1626, which was presented to them some years ago by Mr. George Lambert.
We illustrate two examples of apostle spoons, one made at Exeter in
1674, representing St. Simon Zelotes (p. 189), and the other made in
London in 1648, with the figure of St. Andrew with the saltire cross
(p. 185).
Single specimens can be obtained, though prices range high; what could
be procured for £5 ten years ago now fetches £30. Whether the war
will bring prices down remains to be seen. Sixteenth-century apostle
spoons realize from £30 to £90 under the hammer, according to style,
age, condition, and other determining factors. Earlier spoons than the
sixteenth century bring higher prices, anything from £50 to £100.
The Seal-top Spoon
Contemporary with the apostle spoons were other types. The terms now
applied to them are purely collectors’ names. There was the acorn
terminal, the seated lion with a shield (_lion sejant_), the seated
owl, the pineapple, the mitre, and the head of the Virgin, which
continued for a long period and is now known as the Maidenhead variety.
But the most common was the seal-top with baluster ornament, which form
lasted well into the seventeenth century. We illustrate an example with
the London hall-mark for 1652. It will be noticed that the hall-mark
appears in the bowl of the spoon. This is the leopard’s head, and may
be observed in all early spoons of the apostle and kindred classes.
The Slipped-stalk Spoon
During the reign of Charles I (1625-49) the bowl of the spoon began
to take different proportions, and to depart from the pear-like form.
It became more oval and narrower at the base and wider near the stem.
But in regard to evolution of form, the modern spoon, as is readily
seen, is an inversion of the bowl. It is egg-shaped, but the narrowest
part is now away from the handle, whereas formerly the narrowest part
was joined to the handle. All the sixteenth and seventeenth century
spoons show the old form and the later spoons show the opposite. The
innovation is shown in the illustration, given on page 185, of early
eighteenth-century examples.
The slipped-stalk spoon was simply a radical departure from excessive
ornament. It may have been on account of religious motives, it may have
been by reason of economy. Obviously such a spoon cost less to produce
without its terminal figure. Hence we have the slipped-in-the-stalk
variety which was cut off transversely as shown in the illustration (p.
181) of an example dated 1651, during the Civil War, which form readily
developed into the so-called Puritan spoon with plain, flat handle,
which shortly exhibited wider ends. Of this style two examples are
illustrated (p. 181).
[Illustration: SEVENTEENTH AND EARLY EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY SPOONS.
APOSTLE SPOON.
St. Simon Zelotes.
Exeter hall-mark.
Date pricked on back, 1674.
FLAT-STEM SPOON.
Trefoil top. Rat’s-tail back.
Maker, probably Thomas Simpson.
Exeter hall-mark 1712.
(_In possession of Messrs. J. Ellett Lake & Son, Exeter._)
LOBED-END SPOON.
Showing both sides.
1679.
(_At Victoria and Albert Museum._)]
The Trifid Spoon
This style was a passing fashion. It is obvious that such a shape with
split ends was not for posterity. The design was not pleasing nor
was the form utilitarian. The example illustrated (p. 185) was made
at Newcastle in 1703, and is marked with the figure of Britannia and
the lion’s head erased. The adjacent illustration with the London
hall-mark of the same date shows the form which was calculated to last
for a longer period. The beginning of the eighteenth century shows the
attempt of the spoon-maker to invent new forms. The Exeter example
of trifid form with the hall-mark for 1712 exhibits the rat’s-tail
back, merely a device in technique to strengthen the bowl, although
this is found as early as 1670. In 1750 this rat-tail at the back
became shorter and was known as a “crop.” Its purpose was the same, to
strengthen the handle in its juncture with the bowl.
Various varieties claimed recognition for the moment. They were
ornamental and essayed to fix new styles, but their day was short. They
stand now as collectors’ examples. The lobed end specimen illustrated
(p. 189) shows this type with ornament on the back of the bowl, which
still retains its rat-tail form in subjection. It is now merely an
ornament or a relic of a former style, as the handle ends abruptly
and somewhat clumsily before the rat-tail commences as an adjunct or
ornament. Such a fashion was not destined to live long. This has the
London hall-mark for the year 1679.
The modern spoon comes in process of evolution from these earlier
forms. The straight stem of apostle or seal-top days was still retained
in the flat Puritan form. We have seen that the bowl underwent a
change in form, but the stem or handle similarly was the subject of
inventive caprice. It became “wavy” in form in the time of William
III. The Queen Anne type, apart from its pronounced rat-tail back,
became developed in the reign of George I into a type which may be
termed the Hanoverian spoon. The outline of the end is continued in a
curve without a break. This is the new form which has continued to the
present day. Whatever ornament was introduced, whether as additional to
the bowl or to the handle, the form became established.
Simultaneously with this form, simple and utilitarian, was what
is termed the “old English,” which is found in the middle of the
eighteenth century. The handle was bent back and the rat-tail became a
crop.
The fiddle pattern in common use to-day was a late eighteenth-century
innovation. There is nothing beautiful in the ears of the fiddle
pattern, which might well be lopped off.
It will be seen that the history of spoons is a long one and
complicated by fashions. Nor is the study lightened by the various
usages to which spoons may be put. It may readily be imagined that the
use of coffee and tea brought the small spoon into commoner use. To-day
the dainty spoon at five o’clock tea is a modern usage. But there is
some suggestion that in eighteenth-century days the spoon of fashion
was trivial in character in comparison with the larger spoons in use.
Pope, the man of the town and depicter of the _beau monde_, has the
lines:
Or o’er cold coffee trifle with the spoon,
Count the slow clock and dine exact at noon,
suggesting the dilettante late at breakfast. Evidently the spoons were
at that date made for toying and corresponded with our modern tea and
coffee spoons.
Something should be said of the manner of marking spoons. The positions
of the hall-marks are worthy of the collector’s notice. Before the
Restoration, and for some time afterwards, the leopard’s head was
placed inside the bowl, as is shown in the illustrations we give of
various examples. During the reign of Charles II the style of marking
may be said to be transitional. In the early years some examples have
all the marks on the handle. Even towards the last years of the reign
other examples have the leopard’s head in the bowl and the rest of the
marks on the handle. After this the marks appear on the handle, and
about 1781 they were placed at the end of the handle instead of close
to the bowl, as was the former practice.
SALE PRICES
APOSTLE SPOONS.
It is impossible to fix prices. In July 1903 a set of thirteen with
hall-mark for 1536 realized £4,900.
Single specimens may roughly be valued as follows: Fifteenth
century, anything from £50 to £300; sixteenth century, from £30 to
£100; seventeenth century, £3 to £40. Six spoons (1631) brought
£280 and a pair (1622) only £7. “Fakes” are abundant in this class.
SEAL-TOP SPOONS.
Prices range from £8 to £25 apiece.
CADDY-SPOONS.
These from middle of eighteenth century are a large class, which
should appeal to the collector of limited means. But even in this
modest field the faker has been busy.
VI
THE POSSET-POT
AND THE
PORRINGER
[Illustration: COMMONWEALTH PORRINGER. 1653.
(Marks illustrated p. 365.)]
[Illustration: CHARLES II POSSET-POT AND COVER. 1662.
CHARLES II PORRINGER. 1669.
Silver-gilt. (With marks below.)
Maker, I N (possibly Euodias Inman).
(_In possession of Messrs. Garrard._)]