posted 07-31-2004 04:45 PM            

It has marks that are entirely too small to photograph-I can barely read them with a 30x loupe. In the bowl on the front is a mark of WR followed either by an 80 or BO in a rectangle. On the reverse side, right next to the area where the handle would have gone in is an impressed key mark with open trefoil back to the key and another mark that looks to be either a sword or perhaps a torch.

Any ideas as to age and country of origin would be most welcome.

posted 08-04-2004 01:41 AM            

Pretty piece, what's the size? Looks to me like it might be a tea strainer. Wood, ivory or bone would have been most likely used for the handle. Could the marks be the Dutch sword/dagger assay mark and the key export mark? (Would scan pictures, but my scanner is down.) If so, the marks were used 1814-1953, though seemingly a bit haphazardly. Difficult to date unless there happens to be a single-letter date code present.

posted 08-04-2004 09:08 AM            

As for its handle, I suppose that if one could determine its age it might be narrowed down a bit, assuming there is no residue of the original handle stuck up inside the socket. Perhaps others more expert than I on this board might come up with a better thought, but given the microscopic touchmarks my impression is that it may not have much age. Making a die that will produce a well formed microscopic touchmark takes a bit of technology. Hopefully someone on the forum will be able to say when these kinds of micro markings were first used?

posted 08-04-2004 09:32 AM            

If you search for "sugar sifter" on eBay, you should find a few pieces with pierced bowls similar to yours. As I understand it, these spoons, popular from the late 18th to late 19th centuries, were used to sprinkle powdered sugar over pastries or other desserts. French, Dutch, and other continental European examples often have turned wooden handles, while British and American ones almost always have integral silver handles. The wide rim on the bowl is, I believe, mainly a Dutch and German feature.

Stylistically, this looks like it falls somewhere in the range of 1820-1860.

Sugar sifters are not uncommon pieces, but they are attractive and interesting, and given the variety of decoration, I'm surprised they are not more sought after by collectors.

posted 08-05-2004 03:14 PM            

Thanks to all for their advice and suggestions-what a great thread!

posted 08-05-2004 06:48 PM              

French pierced work of the 18th C. is considered to be the finest, as you can see from the examples on the catalog cover. Note the armorials worked into the center of the bowl of spoon #1 and the monogram in the bowl of spoon #2. The spoons have a stylistic evolution. The earliest are more geometric and static in design and the later ones are very animated (spoon #4.) There are also regional variations in the style of the piercing. The catalog has detailed information about styles.

In the 19th C. sugar sifters became shorter and smaller, and the pierced work was not as masterful. Often the 19th C. sifters are gold-washed. You find 19th C. examples as part of a standard bonbon set including a sugar sifter, bonbon spoon, candied fruit fork, and nougat paddle.

In North America, those not familiar with the function of sugar sifters often mistake them for strainers.

In 18th and 19th C. France sugar also was served from casters, and you find sugar nips too, but that is a whole other story.

I agree that doc's piece is probably not a sugar sifter due to the shape of the rim.

posted 08-25-2004 05:35 AM            

Similar sugar sifting spoons were produced in France and Belgium during the early XIXth around 1809-1838 and in Holland even earlier. Although my book deals with XVIIIth century pieces, the exhibition in Antwerp included some 25 pieces of later dates.

The enclose photos (moderator: It's the first time I am in the forum, how can I attach photos???) are of 2 spoons of the subject dates:the one on the left in gilt silver and has a flower basket piercing with bowl dimensions of 3 1/8 by 2 5/8. The one on the right is somewhat similar to the photo of the question in regard to the handle which in my case is ebony.

Now coming to the questioned article it may well be a sugar sifter or a so called "punch" spoon depending on the depth, if it is very deep (this is never mentioned) it might be the latter.

Regarding the the silver marks, I cannot pronounce myself without seeing them, but I can only mention that in the book "Nederlands Klein Silver en schepwerk 1650-1880" of B.W.G.Wttewall, dealing with Dutch silver, similar examples can be found in pages 218-225.
By the way I have three points to add:

The first is that I just came to find out about this forum and just registered.

The second is: The next exhibition on sugar sifting spoons will be held in the city of Niort in France next summer.

And the third is to: kayvee
I see that you are quite knowledgeable on the french silver etc. If you are in France perhaps we can meet sometime to exchange ideas (in fact I don't know if this is permitted by the forum- moderator ???).

posted 08-26-2004 09:37 AM            

This tread is getting a little long and becuase of all the phto can take a while to load. It is time to close this thread and continue it in a new thread. Click here to go the continuation.