French Art Nouveau Silver Serving Spoon with Rococo Handle
Victorian — c. 1880–1900
- Material
- Sterling silver
- Use
- Serving
- Century
- 19th century CE
- Size
- Wumbo
- Provenance
- Owner's collection
Dimensions2 measurements
- Overall length
- 29 cm
- Overall width
- 4.2 cm
Catalogue Note
A substantial serving spoon of refined Victorian taste, distinguished by an elaborate Rococo-revival handle rendered in full relief with acanthus scrolls and foliate ornament. The bowl is capacious and elegantly proportioned, with a gentle curve; the handle flows seamlessly from the bowl with considerable three-dimensional articulation. The piece exhibits the hallmarks of mid-to-late 19th-century sterling manufacture—crisp casting, assured hand-finishing, and the patina of age and use. A small hallmark is visible near the bowl, consistent with assay marks of the period.
Spoon Lore
Victorian silversmiths revived the Rococo style with particular enthusiasm, believing its exuberant naturalism and ornamental density to be the apotheosis of decorative refinement—a conviction that would be sharply challenged by the Arts and Crafts movement that followed.
From the collection of
David Okafor