bottom marked spoons
Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 3:24 am
Hi All
Just to ask if there were any conventions or customs to the positioning and orientation of the marks on Georgian bottom marked spoons. Was there an order in which the marks appeared?
From the few spoons I have it would seem the lion passant was always struck sideways, the base pointing left (logical I suppose for the person marking it was probably right handed). The lion passant usually seems to be the second or third mark.
Were the crowned leopard's head and date letters struck with the base towards the bowl or the finial? I have spoons with both, generally the earlier ones facing the bowl, and the later ones - from about George III facing the stem - but there are enough exceptions to suggest it was not a rule.
And it seems the maker's mark was generally struck closest to the bowl, or sometimes last in the middle of the stem (this logical I suppose as the maker marked his work first). Or is it all completely random.
Just thought it might help date some of the more unreadable marks - you know back foot of a lion passant, side whiskers of a leopard's head etc. -
I assume the only safe thing to say is that by 1780 the marks have move to the back of the spoon - Regards Frank
PS and of course when we get to teaspoons - help
Just to ask if there were any conventions or customs to the positioning and orientation of the marks on Georgian bottom marked spoons. Was there an order in which the marks appeared?
From the few spoons I have it would seem the lion passant was always struck sideways, the base pointing left (logical I suppose for the person marking it was probably right handed). The lion passant usually seems to be the second or third mark.
Were the crowned leopard's head and date letters struck with the base towards the bowl or the finial? I have spoons with both, generally the earlier ones facing the bowl, and the later ones - from about George III facing the stem - but there are enough exceptions to suggest it was not a rule.
And it seems the maker's mark was generally struck closest to the bowl, or sometimes last in the middle of the stem (this logical I suppose as the maker marked his work first). Or is it all completely random.
Just thought it might help date some of the more unreadable marks - you know back foot of a lion passant, side whiskers of a leopard's head etc. -
I assume the only safe thing to say is that by 1780 the marks have move to the back of the spoon - Regards Frank
PS and of course when we get to teaspoons - help