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I was told that this was a snuff spoon, but found another similar spoon online claiming it to be a salt spoon. This spoon terminates in a rearing horse, while the other had a lion and shield instead, otherwise they appeared identical. I thought this spoon was pewter, but the online reference said it was silver plated. The only mark on the spoon appears to say Italy. I was just curious if anyone might have any further information that might further my knowledge about this object. Thanks!!!

There is a long-standing and misleading tendency in the trade to describe any miniature spoon as a snuff spoon. The only undoubted snuff spoons I know of are tiny ones, a fraction the size of yours, that are occasionally found clipped inside the lid of 18th century snuff boxes. The bowl of your spoon is larger than would be desirable for a pinch of snuff and I think salt or condiment spoon would be a better description. If you bought it as a decorative little item, fine. If it was because of its alleged use, I'm sorry to disappoint.

agphile wrote:There is a long-standing and misleading tendency in the trade to describe any miniature spoon as a snuff spoon. The only undoubted snuff spoons I know of are tiny ones, a fraction the size of yours, that are occasionally found clipped inside the lid of 18th century snuff boxes. The bowl of your spoon is larger than would be desirable for a pinch of snuff and I think salt or condiment spoon would be a better description. If you bought it as a decorative little item, fine. If it was because of its alleged use, I'm sorry to disappoint.

Luckily, I did not purchase it. It was part of a "junk drawer" collection of my great-grandmother's. I was just curious about its history. I thought it seemed odd for it to be a snuff spoon, so I am glad to have that cleared up. Thanks for the help!