19th Century Small Spoon Maker WV?

[Essexboy Found]

Hello again, interesting maker's mark on this small delicate shovel type spoon. It is about 9.5 Cms long and I think it has the "Y" for 1858. Would it have been a condiment spoon?



I was not sure what the makers mark was until I got it cleaned a little. I think it is "WV" over a flaming torch though at first I thought the pictorial part was a smoker's pipe. I do not think it is "AM" under the objet. Minerva's head is rubbed but I think the Guild letter could be an "A".
Please my Dutch section friends can you put some real information in this post?

Fishless

[oel]

Hi Fishless,

Biedermeier style silver spoon. The Biedermeier style is characterized by rounded, flowing shapes, subtle decorations and a soft and romantic appearance. The silver from the Biedermeier period has soft round shapes, often smooth at first, but later, after 1835, often decorated with fine engravings with curls and flowers. The Biedermeier period runs from about 1815 to roughly 1850, but many silversmiths were still making silver with Biedermeier shapes and motifs until late in the 19th century. The Biedermeier style was a reaction to the turbulent political and military period of French rule. In the late Biedermeier, the influences of the Neo style and Art Nouveau are often already visible.

We call this a silver "theeschep" tea scoop, to scoop tea out of a  tea caddy into a teapot. We often see this type of spoon together in a set consisting of 12 teaspoons, a tea scoop and a sugar scoop. The tea scoop is a little smaller than the sugar scoop.
Maker's mark WV above a  burning silversmithing torch for the widow of Jan van der Velden- van Weerden Wijnands,  registered in Amsterdam 1856/1867. Her husband Jan van der Velden, started in Amsterdam in 1839 and died in 1856. Year letter Y for 1858. Minerva head with regional assay office letter A for Amsterdam.

Peter.

Source; Zilver.nl online antiquair juwelier

[Essexboy Found]

Thank you Peter for your speedy and expansive answer. It seems I post a question just as I go to bed and there in the morning is the answer. I wish some of the services I pay for were as quick and diligent.
A "caddy spoon" you suggest. I had immediately discarded that possibility as I thought the spoon was much too small for making tea in a family teapot. You would need shovelfuls after shovelfuls to get a decent cup of tea.
Thanks for the information on my new 165 year old spoon.

Fishless