BASE METAL SPOONS Though They Were Certainly Used Here for Several Hundred Years Before Then
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Antique Collecting Se pt 1980 made in this country before the second half of the 16th century, BASE METAL SPOONS though they were certainly used here for several hundred years before then. , by 1 The earliest spoons to have sur vived in any numbers from our ": period are made of latten and exist in Ronald F. Homer two main 'types: those with round bowls and flat stems which have been cut and hamrriered from the flat Lift: Figure 1. A lallell sheet; and those with more or less Jpoon of 13th century elongated fig-shaped bowls with date having a round diamond-section stems which appear bowl and a flat stem to have been cast. Although these with a maker's mark have been excavated in Britain in and a cut-and-Jiled considerable numbers, they are knop. Valw! £120. probably French or Italian in origin respectively. In common with later Right: Figure 2. A latten spoons they were almost lallell SPOOl! of 13th or certainly originally tinned all over to 14th century date, obviate the taint which brass alloys perhaps Italian in may give to food. Those with flat origin, and having a stems bear marks on the front of the fig-shaped bowl and stem which resemble the town marks diamond section stem. on early French silver. The earliest Value £120-£150. have a crude knop or finial filed in the end of the stem (the so-called "cut and-filed" knop), and these date from the 12th/13th century. A little Figure 3. A very rare pewter later cast finials, often of an acorn or spoon c.1300 with leaf related form, appear. Pewter round shaped bowl, diamond bowl spoons with cast knops also section stem and acorn knop. survive, but in less number than Note the animal's head those of latten. This form of spoon is between the stem and bowl. illustrated in figures 1 and 2. Apparently contemporarily with these spoons there existed a very rare poons of metal, or ones made a range of pieces covering a period of form in both pewter and latten, Sfrom more transient materials many hundred years in an evolution having a leaf-shaped bowl similar to such as bone, horn, wood and shell, ary sequence of diverse and datable that found on a small group of early have been used for at least seven-and types and styles. silver spoons (excavated on Iona and a-half millennia. Roman spoons of Silver spoons, because of their in elsewhere), which are generally dated silver, bronze or pewter have been re trinsic value, were seldom lost by as late 12th century but which may be covered in considerable numbers their owners or thrown away when earlier. A somewhat later pewter from excavations all over the Roman worn or damaged. They were melted spoon, probably of the late 13th world. In Europe, however, little sur down and the valuable metal recast, century, is shown in figure 3. This vives from a period of some six or or they were carefully preserved as has an acorn knop and the very rare seven centuries following the collapse heirlooms. Base metal spoons, on the feature of a grotesque dragon's head of the Roman Empire. Although other hand, had little intrinsic value at the junction of the bowl and stem. Roman spoons are collected as an and were frequently discarded to the By about 1400 the shape of spoon tiquities, this article is concerned with rubbish dump or lost in drains and bowls had become standardised in the those spoons of pewter and latten under floors. Large numbers of early universal fig-shaped type typified by which were made or used in Britain base metal spoons have therefore sur the examples in figure 4. This style, from medieval times to the early 18th vived for accidental reasons and have with a stem which in pewter was hex century. been excavated in recent times. agonal in cross-section and in latten The post-Roman domestic spoon Medieval base metal spoons are was either diamond or hexagonal in appears in the 12th century and at much commoner than those of silver, section, persisted for some 250 years that time was a prized personal pos though from the 1600s onwards the until the mid-17th century. During session of the rising middle class of reverse is true. this period we find a fascinating and yeomen and merchants, distin The casting of pewter spoons, nor wide diversity of knops which give guishing them from their peasant mally in moulds of bronze, was a early spoons their charm. Many base forebears. By the end of our period it simple process and, as well as estab metal styles follow those of silver and was the universal necessity of every lished pewterers, there were no doubt are thus broadly datable by compari household. Pewter of this period is an many itinerant tinkers and tinsmiths son with the known dates of hall alloy of some 95 % tin with a small who cast to order at the local fair. marked silver examples. However, amount of copper and/or lead, and The working of latten was less easy pewter and latten outdo silver in the latten is an early brass made by and the craft was probably more cen variety of knop types which are to be smelting together copper and zinc tralised. Latten was not made in found. ores in the presence of charcoal. The Britain until the 1560s, but was im The much admired horned head collecting of spoons is one of the few ported, worked or in sheet form, dress knops and the rare and areas where a collector of modest from the Low Countries. It is open to desirable pewter apostles, maiden means has the opportunity to acquire question whether latten spoons were heads and lions sejant of the 16th 14 r t, Figure 6 (first three spoons). Commoner base metal spoons. Left to right: a pewter slip top ', . c.1600; a latten apostle (St. Jude) c.1670 and a latten seal top c.1650. Value £50-£ 75. I,. Figure 7 (far right). A rare pewter lion statant spoon c.1450-1500 with a wire reinforced stem and the knop threaded on the end of the stem. Figure 5. Two rare pewter spoons. On the left a horned head-dress knop c.1450 and on the right a maidenhead knop c.1600. These spoons would probably fetch some £250 at auction. century exemplified in figure 5 may balusters and a host of others may be form with the shoulders leaving the command £200-£300 at auction, On found (with patience) in the main stem at a relatively more acute angle, the other hand the equally attractive London auction rooms or in the as may be seen by reference to figures and commoner latten seals and hands of specialist dealers. 5 and 6, but the changes are subtle apostles, together with slip tops in Where there is no silver counter and not necessarily conclusive. The both metals (see figure 6), may be part, close dating by style requires broad dates of the commoner knops had for considerably under £ 100. In considerable experience. Bowl shapes are as follows: between, acorns, diamond points, may help with dating. Early fig Acorn . .. .... before 1300-c.1570 ball and hexagon knops, melons, shaped ones tend to be less oval in Apostle . ........ .. c. 1475-1670 Ball . .. 15thcentury-c.1525 Baluster. 1550-c.161O Diamond .... .. 15th century-1570 Dog nose . .. 1695- ffexagon . .. ... ... 1475-1575 Lion sejant . 15th century-c. 1625 Maidenhead . .. ..... 1480-1680 Puritan .. ..... ... .. ... 1640-1670 Seal top ...... ... .. .. 1550-1670 -. Slip top . .. ... : . 1480-1680 Trifid . 1660-1700 In silver, knops are frequently cast separately from the spoon . and soldered to the end of the stem. In base metals the knops are cast inte gral with the stem except in the case of a few early pewter spoons of the 14th-15th c'enturies which have sepa rately cast knops slipped over the end of the stem and soldered in place, as in the rare lion statant knop shown in figure 7. Rarely pewter spoons are found with latten knops, made originally no doubt in imitation of silver spoons with gilt knops. Beware of deception here though; it is easy to marry a genuine old latten knop with a genuine pewter slip top to produce Figure 4. Left to right: a pewter melon knop spoon c.1500; a pewter seal top .Ipoon with a a superficially attractive hybrid. latten knop c. 1620; a pewter baluster knop spoon c.1550; an early pewter ball knop Jpoon It has frequently been remarked c.1500 with a wire reinforced stem. that pewter is an unsuitable material 15 < .' purchased at auction for £30-£50 and Queen Anne portrait spoons at £100-£150. But beware of fakes of these latter spoons; genuine moulds still exist and may be put to ulterior use . .Though :latten spoons seem not to have been'faked, due no doubt to the fact that until recently they were little Figure 8. A bronze mould for casting pew/er spoons c.1700. sought after by collectors, pewter fakes abound. Many are crude and for a spoon. It is soft and readily bent puritan spoon having the egg-shaped readily recognisable, but the new col and worn and, of course, would melt bowl and flat stem, but lacking the lector should buy from a reputable if left on a hot stove. In an attempt to flattened and lobed end. By about dealer or confine himself to heavily overcome the former disadvantages 1700 the trifid had given place to the patinated and obviously excavated some, probably Continental, pewter dog nose style and spoons had examples.