Unusual Christening/Annointing Spoon - or is it?

[gardoo]

Help me please in dating, and establishing the maker, and for what purpose was it made.

I can't identify anything apart from the sterling mark.

It is 5" long and the bowel is 2" diameter.














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[Waylander]

Dutch silver of .934 purity, imported into England by SBL in 1892. Not confident enough to have a stab as to the date on the Dutch marks though. Don't know who SBL is either.

Waylander
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[gardoo]

Thanks Waylander, That is a most useful, a very good start.

gardoo
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[Doos]

The import mark (the key) was used till 1953, so hard to tell when it was imported. Usually there should be an importers mark aswell. Lokk for one with a '+' in the initials.

The spoon is a cream ladle.
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[gardoo]

Thanks Doos

Well I would never have guessed that it was a cream ladle, but that might explain the handle shape which could be used for hooking on the lip of the cream jug.

Regarding the export mark (key) I take it then that upon it's arrival in this country it has to be assayed again by the importer (S.B.L.) and stamped with a fresh set of markings; which would explain the import date that Waylander, has deciphered for me.

Thanks again
gardoo
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[Doos]

I need to correct myself on the key .. it is an export mark, not an import one. Sorry about that.
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[gardoo]

Thanks Doos.
Correction noted.

gardoo
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[bellefield]

Thanks Doos

Well I would never have guessed that it was a cream ladle, but that might explain the handle shape which could be used for hooking on the lip of the cream jug.

Regarding the export mark (key) I take it then that upon it's arrival in this country it has to be assayed again by the importer (S.B.L.) and stamped with a fresh set of markings; which would explain the import date that Waylander, has deciphered for me.

Thanks again
gardoo

Gardoo, nothing to add to the esteemed company's remarks other than to say WOW! - the hook at the end of the handle looks a wonderful and thoughtful feature!!!!
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[Janjaap Luijt]

This cream ladle was made in 1891 or 1892 as pseudo-antiques for the British market. At the end of the 19th century the demand for Dutch antique silver was so big, that silversmiths started to produce these kind of objects. The mark at the beginning of the stem is a pseudo-mark.
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[gardoo]

Thank you Janjaap

Your information has been very useful in piecing together the history and origin of this cream ladle.

Regards gardoo
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[Ton]

JanJaap,

To my knowledge the mark for 1891 is a Gothic G.
As i don't find any G, i wonder why you think is's made in 1891.
Does the C atop the silvermark (the climbing lion) suggest it's made in 1937?
The exportmark (the key) is slightly different from the 1853 mark for exportsilver. This 1853 mark slightly changed in 1906.
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[Doos]

Hi Ton,

There is no Dutch date letter in the marks. The R is the 1892 dateletter of London.
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[Ton]

Thanks Doos (nice nickname) for the information.
With "Voet's" i try to find out what the marks mean.
Atop de vlimbing lion indicating the amount of silver is another mark.
Do you have any idea what this mark indicates?
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[Doos]

Hi Ton,

I think that mark reads "930", could be a mark stamped by the manufacturer abroad or a pseudo mark. Voet won't help you there as it' not an official Dutch mark.
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