SPOON

An incomplete lead-alloy pewter spoon of trifid form, dating from the reign of Queen Anne (AD 1702-1714). The spoon is decorated with a royal portrait bust of Queen Anne consisting of a crown (now missing) being held either side by amorini (a putto represented as an infant cupid) above a left facing bust. Below the bust, running down the front of the stem, is scroll or vine decoration; this stops just over half way down the stem terminating in cast initials 'T*P.', possibly the makers mark. The reverse of the handle and stem is undecorated, at the point that the stem meets the elongated bowl a 'rats tail' develops and is a half of the bowl in length. The reverse of the bowl is decorated with ornate 'lace work' decoration. The central tip of the trifid top is broken and missing, and the back of the bowl at the tip has many small cut marks, resulting from an unknown repeated action. Queen Anne is the most numerous monarch depicted on royal portrait spoons, with over 30 types known. Similar spoons are illustrated in Michaelis (1950:173 fig VI (a) (b) (c)).

Dimensions: length: 173.47mm; width of bowl: 41.08mm; weight: 50.58g.

Other royal portrait spoons on the database are SUR-883CF3, HAMP-B54496, HAMP-74D478 and PUBLIC-B99591.

Michaelis (1950:172) "The portrayal of royalty in this way had not formerly been used as a means of loyal expression by the pewterers in England, and it is thought that some of the Dutch pewterers, who undoubtedly would have accompanied William of Orange to England, imported the idea from their own country. This is also evident from the portrait busts appearing in English commemorative porringers; hitherto such pieces had been produced only on the Continent, principally in Holland and France."

Michaelis (1950:173) writes "The general design of the ornamentation is followed in all the specimens illustrated, i.e., the pair of amorini holding the crown over the head of the sovereign. Only on one or two of the depicted spoons is there a portrait which bears any resemblance to the buxom Queen."