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Cape Silver Salt Spoon - Rare INCE Makers Mark (not shown in Welz)
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Reference: S1408
Period: George IV
Year: Circa 1823-1828
Silversmith: Joseph Ince
Place: Cape
Price: $ 150.00
Weight: 12.0 grams
Dimensions: 10.2 cm
Condition: Fair to good, front of bowl is scratched and pitted (from exposure to salt we presume).
Description: A rare Cape silver salt spoon, in the Fiddle pattern, struck twice with a makers mark not depicted in any of the Cape silver reference books (although Ince is recorded in both Morrison and Welz). The spoon is struck twice with makers mark INCE, which is very distinct. The spoon is quite crudely made, slightly out of shape, it appears hand made in primitive conditions, it has a strong Colonial feel. The makers mark INCE is recorded by Turner as unascribed Scottish Provincial (Directory of Scottish Provincial Silversmiths, pg 84). It was also recorded as "unascribed Scottish" by Jackson (2nd edition, pg 557, on a tablespoon circa 1770, owned by The Marquess of Breadalbane) - this had been corrected by the third edition. We believe that the possible Scottish attribution is incorrect, and should be corrected to Cape.
A number of other Cape silver items made by Joseph Ince are known, including 3 items in the Mullne collection, now in a museum in Pretoria, all struck twice with INCE. In addition, a South African collector has an oval snuff box marked INCE with typical Cape engraving. The final proof must be a basting spoon struck twice with INCE, but also bearing 3 pseudo English marks used by other Cape silversmiths - mark 121 in Welz. The spoon is illustrated in an article by Michael Baggott in "The Finial, July 2012, pg 7, in which he correctly identifies Joseph Ince of the Cape. Ince died in 1828, his estate records of his liquidation and distribution are available in the Cape archives.
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Ince silver saltspoon
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Colonial salt spoon
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Scale
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Ince hallmark
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