Unmarked naturalistic silver spoon

[Sebastian]

This spoon has no original assay mark on it, only a modern Dutch assay mark for 0.925 silver (ZI). The design is naturalistic, with a twig-style handle and a bowl decorated with flowers. It is 20 cm long.




Could it be European and Rococo revival, or is it perhaps from Japan or China? Could somebody help please identify where it might have been made, and when.

[davidross]

Japan is certainly a possibility. Spoons like this, with bowls of cherry blossoom flowers and stems shaped like twigs, were made by a number of different makers from the 1880s until well into the 1960s. Most were rather crude tourist items, but yours looks to be at the higher end of the scale in its silver content and craftsmanship, and probably is rather early, perhaps circa 1900.

It was not uncommon for the smaller pieces in a Japanese silver tea service to be unmarked in the Meiji period. Full marks were sometimes only applied to the principle piece or pieces. Tthe only way to identify a single unmarked spoon will be to find a full set of identical spoons or a full tea service that is marked. That said, a large Japanese retailer or department store would often commission several makers to fill the stock of popular designs like this.

The Chinese also made such spoons, but I think they were nearly always marked, so it seems less of a possibility than Japan.

The Dutch import mark probably is of little help in pinning a date, but Oel will know more about that.

Regards,
DR