Huge Spoon - Crown over Swan??

[collectingfool]

Hi,

I've never bought silver utensils before but I saw this one today and something about it called to me. I had to buy it. I was able to identify the maker and date - Francois-Dominique Naudin ca 1820 - but the back top of the handle has this mark (very large) and I can't find reference to it. Does anyone know what it signifies? Any help will be greatly appreciated.


http://www.collectingfool.com/spoon-mark.jpg

Thanks,
Ruben

[dognose]

Hi Ruben,

Welcome to the Forum.

It will be a family crest taken from a coat-of-arms.

The crest is representing the 'Pelican in her piety', legend has it that the pelican when short of food will stab herself and feed her young on her own blood.

See:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelican

Hopefully someone may recognise the family concerned.

Trev.

[collectingfool]

Thank you. Well there's the first lead, had no idea it was a coat of arms and didn't recognize it as a pelican, thought it was a swan. At least it gives me more search words to try to identify. Of course ideally someone would recognize it and let me know but already this is helpful.

Thank you again.
Ruben

[JayT]

The "crown" is a coronet indicating noble rank. You have 3 leaves and 4 pearl-topped spikes, not enough for a French count, and too many for a French viscount, so could be another country. Good luck in your search.

[Traintime]

What's it made of? Why is the crest on the back? Why is it cast in the metal rather than stamped or engraved? Usually, you cast something intended to be repitiously produced. Did this maker normally do custom jobs in this manner?

[JayT]

To answer Traintime's questions:
-the spoon is made of 950 standard silver;
-the coronet is on the back because that is where personalizations are found in the French tradition;
-cast and applied coronets and/or monograms are standard in the French tradition beginning in the nineteenth century;
-Naudin was a well-regarded, upscale maker.

Nothing unusual in the placement or technique of the personalization.

Hope this helps.