Gilt trefid teaspoon, date & maker help

[mk209]

This was a poor man’s (myself) effort at breaking (hopefully) the pre 1700 barrier. It’s a broken teaspoon! I’d love to know more about it so any help would be appreciated.





I have the resources to repair this and make a new finial, carve it and redo the gilt just for the finial if I had a good picture of what it should look like. Thoughts appreciated on repairing?

Thanks, Matt

[amena]

It seems very charming to me as it is.
Congratulations
Amena

[trevorg]

Hi,

Here is a similar tea spoon by Jean Harache for comparison. Learn to love the spoon in its existing condition as I have for a sweetmeat fork!

Trevor

[trevorg]

Apologies for the incomplete response. Your spoon can be dated to circa 1690 the maker however is unknown to me.

Regards,
Trevor

[Aguest]

Is it a certainty that this is from London? Is the only hallmark the (hitherto unknown) maker's mark? I can't see any other hallmarks ::

[mk209]

Thanks everyone for the thoughts and information, I’ll try to resist repairing the spoon!

Not sure if it’s from London and the only mark is the makers mark which has been struck once then struck again harder. Originally thought to be by Jean Harache but the mark does not match.

Matt

[trevorg]

Personally am not one hundred percent certain that it was made in London (perhaps Dutch?), the rat tail seems to be too well defined for an item as small as a tea spoon and more what I would expect to see on a larger trefid spoon, but the absence of a full set of hallmarks, other than the makers mark, does not concern me. Referring to my good friend David McInley's book "The First Huguenot Silversmiths of London" he explains at some length that the directive issued by The Goldsmiths Company in 1676 to its members instructed that all of their products must be sent for assay and hallmarking unless they could not conveniently bear the marks. This left makers of buttons, small spoons, tea tongs and the like under the impression that their items need not be hallmarked. There are many items of small silver that only have the makers mark and a few from my collection are shown below. They range from a pair of tea spoons by Pierre Harache the Elder, a pair of sugar tongs by Pierre Harache the Younger, a snuff spoon by Abraham Harache, a tea spoon by Daniel Shelmerdine and some mote spoons. All London made between 1690 and 1720 and which bear only the makers mark.
I have also attached a picture of a marrow spoon that only bears the London Assay mark and the lion passant mark but no date letter or makers mark, the style of rat tail is similar though.
Regards,
Trevor

[dognose]

Wonderful images Trevor, thanks for sharing them with us.

Trev.

[mk209]

I’ll echo what Trev said thanyou for showing us some really interesting examples and thanks for your thoughts on my spoon. I’ll try looking further afield for the maker now and hopefully I’ll be lucky and find the maker.

Regards,

Matt

[Aguest]

I posted images of a spoon by Bernhard Peter(s) on here, a German maker and only the maker's mark was struck, there is no town mark or other marks struck, so having examined this spoon in hand, I can't help but wonder if this spoon is by a German maker?

[Aguest]

Thanks Trevorg for the post concerning London silver which bears only a maker's mark, that is very helpful information indeed :::::

[mk209]

.....and this is what it’s companions looked like that were sold separately.





Really beautiful design, very different from most others.

[mk209]

The damaged spoon and the old repaired (1st picture of 3 above) will stay together as a pair but obviously it was sad that they once were a very fine set of teaspoons.