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tline3open  Marrow Spoons and Scoops

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Author Topic:   Marrow Spoons and Scoops
agphile

Posts: 798
Registered: Apr 2008

iconnumber posted 12-22-2015 12:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for agphile     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
They come in all sizes, but the typical marrow spoon will be of tablespoon size, its bowl matching those on other spoons of the same date and its stem formed as a scoop to extract the marrow from beef bones. I think of them as serving pieces because they were not part of the normal place setting for each diner. However, they were often included in an individual’s travelling flatware and cutlery set.

I haven’t wanted to build up a parallel collection of items that differed from my spoons simply by having a scoop for a handle but I felt it was interesting to have a handful of examples, in particular from the early years of the form. Marrow spoons first seem to have appeared in the 1680s or 1690s.


These two marrow spoons both have teaspoon sized bowls. The top spoon is 6 inches long and by Lawrence Jones, London, c.1690 (pre-Britannia standard maker’s mark only). The lower spoon is 5¾ inches long and by George Titterton, London, c.1700 (Britannia standard maker’s mark only).

It is quite normal for smaller spoons of this period not to be fully marked. The small size probably means that both these spoons were meant to be portable, perhaps part of a travelling set. It probably doesn’t really show up in my photo but the Titterton spoon has a small collar round the stem just above the scoop. Almost like the shoulders on much later spoons except that it circles the stem rather than just projecting at the sides. It is a feature I have noticed on one or two other marrow spoons of the 1690/1700 vintage.

Next a size or two up:


The top example here is tablespoon size, just under 8 inches long, and fully marked for John Cory, London, 1700. The lower one is dessert size, just over 6½ inches long, and by Thomas Issod, London, c.1690 (pre-Britannia maker’s mark only). The engraved decoration is of a type found on both trefid spoons and marrow spoons at this period. Spoons with this decoration were often gilded and traces of gilding remain on the Issod spoon.

Finally, a couple of slightly later marrow spoons, both with teaspoon sized bowls so probably intended for travelling.


The top spoon by IO, London, c1750 (maker’s mark and lion passant). The IO might be John Orme 1. It does not match the mark he entered in 1734 but he may have had a later mark in the missing register. I can’t come up with another candidate.

The other spoon is unmarked, probably also c.1750. It bears the crest of the Marquess of Tweeddale. It looks continental rather than British but there were always at least some customers with a penchant for foreign and in particular French fashions. It is at least possible that it was made on commission by a London or Edinburgh maker, bit I can only guess.

I’ll add something about marrow scoops, as opposed to spoons, in a second post shortly.

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agphile

Posts: 798
Registered: Apr 2008

iconnumber posted 12-22-2015 06:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for agphile     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just a bit to add on marrow scoops, that is flatware with a scoop at each end rather than a spoon bowl at one and a scoop at the other. Marrow scoops seem to have been introduced a bit later than marrow spoons. The earliest dated examples I have seen are from around 1705. However, through the course of the 18th century they seem to have become more popular than marrow spoons judging by the relative numbers of survivors.

One marrow scoop looks much like another if one doesn’t study the fine detail so I have restricted myself to collecting a couple of examples.

The smaller piece, 5 inches long, came in its original case (also in the picture). I guess that, like the smaller marrow spoons, it was meant for travelling. The larger one, 7¾ inches, is the more normal size for domestic use. Both pieces are by Phiip Roker II. The larger is fully marked for London, 1753. The smaller has just his unusual full name punch, P ROKER, and probably dates from c.1740.

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agphile

Posts: 798
Registered: Apr 2008

iconnumber posted 12-23-2015 07:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for agphile     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just a bit more on scoops. You come across the occasional piece from the Victorian era with just a single scoop. The only similar pieces from the 18th century that I have seen are miniatures from the latter part of the century.

This one is 4 inches long and by Smith and Fearn, London, 1793. I had thought of it as a toy but I have seen similar pieces described as small marrow scoops from campaign sets. I haven’t actually seen a campaign set with one so I remain open minded about the original use. Might it even have been medical like the unmarked director and scoop below?

It is 5 inches long. I picked it up years ago and at the time assumed it was some sort of medical probe. I later gathered it was called a director and scoop. The long scoop was the director, used to guide a scalpel, and the shorter scoop served to scatter something like antiseptic powder. The website of an Indian medical supplies company still offered similar looking directors and scoops although it didn’t explain their use. However, when I shared this allegedly expert advice elsewhere it was pooh-pooh’d. The thing might be called a director but it must be for use as a probe, I was told.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of all that, it is not a marrow scoop and only features here in case it has any relevance to the Smith and Fearn scoop.

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asheland

Posts: 935
Registered: Nov 2003

iconnumber posted 12-30-2015 03:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for asheland     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Great thread!

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agphile

Posts: 798
Registered: Apr 2008

iconnumber posted 03-09-2016 01:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for agphile     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
MARROW SCOOPS

I am returning to this topic simply because I have recently yielded to temptation and bought another small marrow scoop, unmarked but from circa 1730.

I was obviously wrong when I said I hadn’t seen “single” scoops earlier than my late 18th century miniature example. My new one was in the Albert collection and I will have seen it when the collection was on display some years ago now. There is baroque decoration to the stem end and the back of the stem is engraved with the Prince of Wales feathers and coronet, probably for Prince Frederick, son of George II and father of George III. The letters P W are on either side of the engraving. It is assumed that they stand for Prince of Wales but I doubt that they are original. I suspect they were added by a later owner. Be that as it may, it is a pretty little piece, just 4¼ inches long.

To make it easier to compare sizes the picture below shows my three small scoops together, with a British penny as a further aid to sensing the scale.

Where this sort of post can be misleading is in giving the impression that these smaller scoops are more common. Far more of the full size scoops survive. I just haven’t collected them.

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asheland

Posts: 935
Registered: Nov 2003

iconnumber posted 03-10-2016 10:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for asheland     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I like these threads! smile

I have three marrow scoops, all London, from George 1, 2, & 3.

I decided to seek George IV, William IV and Victoria. Kind of a fun way to collect them.

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agphile

Posts: 798
Registered: Apr 2008

iconnumber posted 03-10-2016 11:35 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for agphile     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Worth keeping your eyes open for a Queen Anne example as well. They are to be found and are not necessarily too expensive.

For a bit of variety some of the later examples may have shoulders or a bit of decoration, such as a thread edge to the central part or a fancy heel to the larger scoop. And then there are the relatively rare "reverse" scoops where the bowls of the two scoops face in different directions. I'd better stop here. You've nearly got me heading off in that collecting direction myself.

[This message has been edited by agphile (edited 03-10-2016).]

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asheland

Posts: 935
Registered: Nov 2003

iconnumber posted 03-11-2016 12:06 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for asheland     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I love it! I think of the varieties, too.
I want my Geo IV and later to have shoulders as that's the proper style for the period, but I would consider an Old English example, especially a nice George Adams Victorian example of Bead or plain Old English.

A Queen Anne example would be splendid! I'll definitely keep my eyes open for one...

Fun discussion indeed! smile

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