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Topic: Berry spoons

ahwt

Posts: 2377
Registered: Mar 2003

posted 09-21-2014 07:42 AM

A berry spoon is shown in an exhibit at the Birmingham Art Museum. This spoon is by Hester Bateman and is dated 1786/87. My understanding is that the decoration in the bowl of the spoon would have been added during the mid to late Victoria period.

I have not seen this exhibit, but hope to see it sometime in the future. This Art Museum has a wonderful collection of Wedgwood ceramics and is well worth a visit.

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agphile

Posts: 798
Registered: Apr 2008

posted 09-26-2014 01:58 PM

I agree that berry spoons are examples of later Victorian decoration. Some folk seem to like the decoration and collect them. Others see this treatment of Georgian spoons as Victorian vandalism. While I don’t particularly like the decoration, skilled though it often is, it seems to me that it is part of the history of flatware fashion. In all probability the spoons would have gone for scrap if they had not been recycled like this so I am not on the side of the purists who can get very sniffy about them.

What does make me cross is the dealer who advertises, say, a 1740 Berry spoon with no mention that it is later decorated. I wonder how many novices in the world of silver have overpaid thinking they are getting a spoon in original condition?

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