Danish silver spoon made by Christian Rasmussen, crown jeweler, in 1893.It is 6 inches long. Marked on the bowl with silversmith’s name and three towers of Copenhagen with the year ``93``. Assayer’s mark ``SG`` of Simon Groth (1863-1904)
Hand engraved bowl and cast handle.
This is what I managed to decipher;correct me if I am wrong.
The front of the bowl: Virgin Mary with Jesus Christ and assassinated King Canute IV.
The reverse of the bowl: King Oluf I of Denmark.
Olaf I of Denmark (Danish: Oluf I Hunger) (1050 — 1095) was king of Denmark from 1086 to 1095. His elder brother Canute IV (later known as Canute the Holy or Canute the Saint) was killed in 1086 and Olaf was proclaimed king.
``The hunger of the people grew so great that they dug the earth looking for roots. The wealthy grew thin, and the poor died of starvation. Sickness and starvation soon visited great and small. In the first early attempts of getting Canute canonized, Oluf was given the nickname "Hunger" in order to magnify the splendor of Canute. At the time it was claimed that the famine was sent by God as divine punishment for the sacrilege killing of Canute``
The symbolism of the spoon is obvious; Virgin Mary holds Jesus Christ and assassinated Canute IV.
On the reverse of the bowl Oluf I has an ax instead of king’s scepter, standing over Canute IV, depicted with lion’s body. The inscription in Latin is ``God pray for ME`` (ora pro me), instead of common ``ora pro nobis``(pray for us)
The symbolism in the handle is less clear; only wheat sheaf can be recognized (possibly prosperity under Canute IV and hunger under Oluf I).
Pictures 3 to 5 had to be large enough to read the inscriptions - please, open them and try to read.Am I right about the symbolism? The spoon must have been made after an early medieval source.Why was it made in 1893? Possibly as mere reminiscence of the old days? Or did it have a particular purpose?
