A rare Straight Tudor pattern sifter ladle, made by Chawner & Co, the leading flatware maker of Victorian England. The ladle is fabulous quality, and in excellent condition, without engraving. The piercing in the bowl is lovely, a central flower surrounded by scrolls, changing to leaves on the side. The Straight Tudor pattern is a Gothic Revival pattern, note the omission of 2 small scroll circular projections on each side of the stem, this differentiates it from the "Tudor" pattern. The sifter ladle is clearly hallmarked, it also carries the British Registry design number and date chart diamond, which rarely occurs on silver flatware - class I for metal, date letter v for 1850. The presence of the design mark indicates that Chawner protected the design to protect it being copied. Tudor is described by Pickford (Silver Flatware page 150) as "a rare Chawner & Co pattern registered August 14th 1850, along with Straight Tudor, it appears in the Chawner Pattern book (page 218). Odd pieces may on rare occasions, ...

An interesting early Georgian Britannia silver rat tail Hanoverian tablespoon made by Thomas Salter of Exeter in 1718. The spoon has 5 bottom marked hallmarks, these are all worn (possibly originally lightly struck), but still with enough definition to read each hallmark. In addition to the rat tail the spoon has a central rib on the front of the stem, and original owners initials B over CJ engraved on the back, this engraving is very quaint, more likely done by the owner or local blacksmith rather than a professional engraver. The spoon is well made, and a pleasing weight, but has some wear from use. The hallmarks include makers mark Sa in Gothic script, see Jackson's Silver and Gold Marks page 292, and also Tim Kent's West Country Silver Spoons and their makers 1550-1750, page 130, M134, a book we highly recommend. The 2nd hallmark is Britannia, used between 1701 and 1720, to denote the higher grade 958/1000 silver. The third mark is lions head erased, followed by the castle town mark for Exeter, these mar...

A rare Cape Silver lemoen lepel (orange spoon) and matching konfyt fork (preserve), none are recorded in the Cape silver reference books, but we have previously sold a similar pair (S1812). The spoon is the traditional elegant lemoen lepel shape, with narrow, pointed boat shaped bowl, v shaped drop, and triangular terminal. The matching fork has 4 tines, both feature traditional Cape prick engraving, 2 wavy rows around the border of the handles. Both are clearly hallmarked with makers mark IL in rectangular punch with rounded corners for Jan Lotter (makers mark 71 in Cape Silver by Welz), and are also punched with initials HB, we assume the original owner. Welz describes orange spoons as "probably the most attractive type of spoon made at the Cape, derived from Dutch spoons", page 95. He also notes that all known examples are by Cape born silversmiths of the early 19th century (so not made by the more prolific English immigrants who arrived after 1815). Heller, in his book History of Cape Silver, describes or...

A wonderful pair of Scottish Provincial silver toddy ladles, made in Aberdeen by William Jamieson. The ladles are Fiddle pattern, and both have a beautifully engraved family crest of a dog, the bright cut engraving is amongst the best we have seen on Scottish Provincial silver. The ladles are great quality. and are in excellent condition. Both ladles are clearly hallmarked WJ, A, B, D, WJ, makers mark WJ struck twice with ABD for Aberdeen in between. The 2 makers marks are struck with different punches, the second punch has an indent next to the J. Given the careful alignment and identical spacing between punches, we assume the hallmarks were part of a stub struck on a fly press. This same set of hallmarks, with the same indent, is depicted in the book Aberdeen Silver by Michael Wilson, page 66, bottom left under William Jamieson. Jamieson worked between 1809 and 1841, his company were prolific producers of silverware, based at 87 Broad street, Aberdeen. Jamieson took on at least 17 apprentices, his son Georg...

A rare Cape silver tablespoon by unknown maker M.I.V., with an exceptionally clear makers mark. The spoon is Fiddle pattern, in good condition but with wear to the tip from use, and no engraving. The makers mark M.I.V. is very well struck and clear, note the specific placing of the dots (first 2 higher than last). This is makers mark 178 in Cape Silver by Welz (page 158), where the specific placing of the dots is clearly illustrated. This mark is also recorded by Heller in Further Researches in Cape Silver Vol. 11, mark N.M.M 56, page 126, also with the unusually placed dots clearly illustrated. We have only seen one other example of Cape silver with this makers mark, a Cape silver sauce ladle that sold at Strauss in March 2011, Lot 146. Note - We have a second example of this spoon, with a slightly less clear makers mark, see S 11465.

A Worshipful Company of Joiners and Ceilers antique silver spoon, with the Company armorial as a cast silver finial. The spoon is a good weight and quality, it also has a rat-tail bowl. The cast finial has lovely detail, the back has a vacant shield cartouche intended for engraved initials. The company is one of the Livery companies of the city of London, ranked 41st in order of precedence, it was founded in 1375 and received Royal Charter in 1571. The company motto, "Join Loyalty & Liberty" was created by past Master John Wilkes in 1774, John Wilkes is remembered as the founder of "Freedom of the Press", his statue is in Fetter Lane. He was also Lord Mayor of London, his "I love liberty" slogan on silver spoon picture-backs are highly collectible. The armorial has 2 pairs of compasses over a globe, under 2 roses and a scallop shell, with a demi savage holding a spear, supported by 2 naked boys, one holding a female figure, the other a square - all this detail is clearly visible. The hallmarks are very clear,...

An interesting set of 6 sterling silver coffee (or demitasse) spoons, made in Durban, South Africa in 1963 by Norman Watson. The spoons have a distinctive design, a pointed terminal above a circular scroll, with 3 ribs along the stem, almost Art Deco in style. The spoons are dainty but elegant, around 9 grammes each but are lovely quality, perfect for an expresso cup, we really like using these spoons. All 6 spoons are clearly hallmarked with "MADE IN SOUTH AFRICA" (an unusual feature we have not seen before), along with 4 hallmarks, trademarked "Dick King on Horseback" for Norman Watson, STG for sterling, Lions head in U (South African Bureau of Standards purity mark for sterling silver, introduced in 1948), and date letter Gothic P for 1963. Norman Watson worked from 16 Fenton Road, Durban from the 1950's to 1970's, he was described as Engraver and Manufacturing Jeweller. The spoons are in their original box, with paper label of Dick King above Trademark and Sterling Silver, the box in working condition, bu...

A Cape silver salt spoon in the Fiddle pattern, with no engraving or gilding. The spoon has clear hallmarks, makers mark LT and 4 pseudo hallmarks (duty mark, date letter d, castle town mark and bird), this is mark 132 in Cape Silver by Welz, but with the individual marks struck in a different order.

A rare Tudor pattern Child's size spoon and fork, made by Chawner & Co, the leading flatware maker of Victorian England. They are not an exact set, the spoon was made in 1850 and is engraved with owners initials WM in flowing script, the fork was made in 1851 and is engraved with owners initials FB in Gothic capitals, but otherwise they match well and make a useful set, very suitable as a Christening present. The Tudor pattern is a Gothic Revival pattern, it has 2 small scroll circular projections on each side of the stem, this differentiates it from the "Straight Tudor" pattern. Both are clearly hallmarked, and both have a journeyman's mark - R on spoon and I on the fork. In addition, both also carries the British Registry design number and date chart diamond, which rarely occurs on silver flatware. The presence of the design mark indicates that Chawner registered the design to protect it being copied. Tudor is described by Pickford (Silver Flatware page 150) as "a rare Chawner & Co pattern registered Augus...

A lovely pair of Scottish silver Hanoverian pattern tablespoons, made in 1772 by Daniel Ker in Edinburgh. The spoons have a narrow rounded stem, with flattened end with noticeable rib and turn up end, and they have a double drop. Both spoons are engraved with a family crest of a cockerel under motto "Sine Metu", translated "Without Fear", this is the motto of the Jameson family (this motto is present on every bottle of Jameson's whiskey). Both spoons are bottom marked, and all 4 hallmarks on both spoons are clearly legible, which is not often the case with bottom marked spoons. The hallmarks include makers mark DK, Edinburgh castle, Scottish thistle and date letter Gothic S for 1772.

A rare and interesting pair of Irish Georgian silver Bright Cut tablespoons, engraved "Wicklow Reg", for the 37th Wicklow Regiment, part of the Irish Militia. The spoons are Old English in shape, with the traditional "Dublin Star" engraved at the top above the oval cartouche with the regimental engraving, and traditional bright cut engraving. One spoon is in good condition with one small dent, the second has small pinhead dents to the bowl, overall quite pleasing for Regimental silver spoons which often are in poor condition. One spoon has excellent hallmarks, the second spoon has clear makers mark and date letter but worn Irish marks, still visible (spoon with good hallmarks has the dents to bowl). John Shiels (or Sheils) had a long career between 1762 and 1790, given these spoons are 1797is is possible a son took over his punches. 38 Regiments of Irish Militia were established in 1793 (one from each county) after the outbreak of war with France, to free regular soldiers up and to control the Irish rebellion...

A rare Tudor pattern sugar spoon, made by Chawner & Co, the leading flatware maker of Victorian England. The sugar spoon is a pleasing quality, and is in excellent condition, it has no engraving. The Tudor pattern is a Gothic Revival pattern, it has 2 small scroll circular projections on each side of the stem, this differentiates it from the "Straight Tudor" pattern. The sugar spoon is clearly hallmarked, it also has a double dot journeyman's mark. In addition, it also carries the British Registry design number and date chart diamond, which rarely occurs on silver flatware. The presence of the design mark indicates that Chawner registered the design to protect it being copied. Tudor is described by Pickford (Silver Flatware page 150) as "a rare Chawner & Co pattern registered August 14th 1850, along with Straight Tudor, it appears in the Chawner Pattern book (page 218). Odd pieces may on rare occasions, be found, but building a service would be extremely difficult". The Tudor pattern is showcased in the V&A ...

A pair of Jugendstil German silver serving spoons, 800 purity, made by Lazarus Posen of Frankfurt, Germany circa 1900. The spoons have an interesting diamond shaped bowl, the bowls are gilded on both sides, so can be used for serving salty dishes. The handles are single struck in typical Jugendstil (German Art Nouveau) style, with a central wreath surrounding engraved initials MJL. Both spoons are clearly hallmarked, makers mark script P in shaped outline, 800 standard mark and German crescent moon and crown hallmarks. Lazarus Posen was founded in Frankfurt in 1869, they specialised in Judaica, they became one of Germany's leading silversmiths, receiving a Royal warrant in 1903. They closed in 1938 due to Kristallnacht.

A set of 12 ribbed rat tail trefid teaspoons, reproductions of a 17th century style, these spoons have just reached the 100 year milestone so are now classified as antiques themselves. The spoons are in good condition, they do not appear to have seen much use. The spoons have no engraving. Reproductions of earlier styles was common in the early 20th century. All 12 spoons have clear hallmarks, including makers mark W.H.H for William Hair Haseler Ltd, who worked between 1882 and 1941. Haseler is remembered as the manufacturer for much of Liberty's Cymric silver and Tudric pewter, including pieces designed by Archibald Knox.

A lovely Irish Georgian silver tablespoon in the Old English pattern, with an engraved family crest for the Newton family of Dunleckney, County Carlow, featuring a Ducal coronet. The spoon has a pleasing quality, and is in excellent condition, the engraving is also crisp and clear. The crest features a boars head above Ducal coronet (with strawberry leaves), with 2 ostrich feathers above the coronet. The spoon is also engraved with owners initials N/GG on the drop. The hallmarks are clear, the makers mark JB has slight wear to the J. John Bayly worked between 1787 and 1804 (Bennett mark 204). This spoon would have been made for Colonel Philip Newton (1770-1833) and his wife Sarah when they inherited the Dunleckney estate in 1802. Note - We have a matching pair S11388.

A beautiful Norwegian silver replica of a 17th century figural spoon, which makes an ideal Christening present for a girl. The spoon has a well modelled cast finial of a bust of a female warrior, complete with armour, standing on a pedestal decorated with a feeding bird, masks, flowers and scrolls. The traditionally shaped bowl is gilded, the gilding still well preserved. The quality of this spoon is outstanding, clearly made by a master craftsman, and the condition is excellent. The spoon is hallmarked with makers mark MH and grade 830S, so we can date this spoon to prior to 1920, when Norwegian silversmiths moved to the sterling 925 standard. Marius Hammer (1847-1927) was one of Norway's leading silversmiths, employing 130 staff in 1914, they even supplied the Prince of Wales. In addition to high end souvenirs, they produced replicas of notable Scandinavian silver, including this spoon.

A pair of full figural Indian sterling silver souvenir spoons, with bowls decorated with Mudlavia, Kramer, Indiana. The spoons are a good weight at 30 grammes each, and very pleasing quality, The detail on these spoons is excellent, the Indian is carrying a bow and tomahawk, his feathered headrest hangs to his waist. The bowls feature the Mudlavia Hotel in Kramer, Indiana, once again the detail is excellent (one spoon bowl is very clear, the second has some wear and is not as crisp). Both spoons are clearly hallmarked "Sterling", they also have a Dutch duty mark V in shaped shield, this mark was used 1906-1953 on imported silver, so at some stage these spoons were imported into the Netherlands. No makers mark is present. The Mudlavia Hotel was a spa built in 1890 by Harry Kramer to use the natural spring water, it drew visitors from around the world until it burnt down in 1920. Today the springs are owned by Perrier for use in their bottled water. The book "Collectable Souvenir Spoons" by Wayne Bednersh desc...

A pair of beautiful Norwegian 830 silver caviar spoons in the Russian style, made by Jacob Tostrup, one of Norway's leading silversmiths, goldsmiths and jewellers. The quality and the decoration of the spoons is superb, Tostrup has used a combination of selective gilding of parts of the handles to accentuate the spoons design and high quality engraving. The spoons have circular bowls and a typically Russian design, dating back to a period when Russian influence was greater in Norway than it is today. The intricate engraving has clearly been done by a master craftsman. The backs of the bowls are engraved with original owners initials P & T B in script. The spoons have been perfectly preserved in their original silk and felt lined wooden box, which reads "J. Tostrup Juwelier Kristiana". Both spoons are clearly hallmarked "830 TOSTRUP 1879". Jacob Tostrup was founded in 1832, Jacob died in 1890 but the business was continued by family members until 1962. "Jacob Tostrup received the title royal court jeweler, a...

A very interesting American sterling silver Arts & Crafts ladle, made by W. Depp in the 1950's. The ladle is the traditonal shape, but has 2 bars that join in a loop for the handle, with the base of the handle wrapped in a thick silver wire, we love this design! The bowl has been shaped by hand with a pouring lip on the side, so well suited for gravy, cream or even a toddy (the shape and size is very similar to Scottish silver toddy ladles). The ladle is clearly hallmarked with makers mark W Depp in a triangle (looks like V V rather than W), alongside "Hand Wrought" and "Sterling". W Depp is a mystery to us, he (or she) did produce some modernist hand wrought sterling silver jewellery, we have not been able to find any other flatware by this maker, or information about them (all assistance welcome). Note 1 July 2024 - Thanks to assistance from Susan who has a very similar ladle, we have identified the silversmith as Wesley Depp (1922-2002), of Saranac Lake, New York. Wesley was the son of John Depp and start...

A rare Cape silver basting spoon with exceptionally clear hallmarks, they could not be better. The spoon is Old English pattern, but more European than English in style, with a deep bowl and strong tip, it also has a double drop, and no engraving is present with no signs of removal, we think this spoon was never engraved. The spoon is hallmarked with a flower in oval punch, flanked by 2 makers mark IL, with an indent in the top of the punch, this is makers mark 74 in the book Cape Silver by Stephan Welz. Jan Lotter, who was regarded by Heller as "a highly skilled craftsman", only worked for 4 years between 1813 and 1817, so he probably died young. He made most of the prized Cape silver "lemoenlepels" (orange spoons) known to exist today. He worked from 22 Keerom Street.