Silver-gilt, English (possibly West Country), ca. 1640, maker's mark IS, perhaps for John Shinner
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1640
Silver spoon with gilded silver cast finial of female figure ('Aphrodite' type) and curved, fig-shaped bowl. The finial on this spoon, which modern scholars have classed as an 'Aphrodite' type, is a standard figure particularly associated with the West Country (Barnstaple and, later, Plymouth).
The maker's initials on the bowl are probably those of John Shinner of Plymouth, who was one of three Plymouth goldsmiths fined for substandard work by the London Wardens when they visited the city in 1633. The finial on this spoon is a debased example of a type uniquely produced in the south west of England. Kent (1992, p. 17) labels finials with semi-naked female figures as 'Aphrodite'-type, and argues they echo the classically-inspired architectural styles of the sixteenth century.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 2
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Dimensions
- Length 17.3 cm; Width 5 cm maximum bowl width; Weight 34.4 g
- Materials and techniques
- Silver, parcel-gilt
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- Plymouth
Identification
- Candidate id
- vam-O104190
- Museum object number
- M.12-1956
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked single-object source. Wider type attribution and authenticity have not been independently verified.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type and source attribution against specialist references.