Caddy spoon
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1826-7
This is an English silver caddy spoon crafted between 1826 and 1827 in Birmingham by the silversmith Joseph Willmore. Designed for measuring and taking dry tea from a tea caddy, it features a short handle and a broad, curved bowl.
The spoon is made of engraved and gilt silver, bearing an engraved decorative motif across the handle and within the interior of the bowl, which is finished with gilding. It carries the maker's mark "JW" for Joseph Willmore, an identification confirmed during an examination by the Caddy Spoon Society in September 2015.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
A caddy spoon is designed to measure dry tea from a tea caddy, typically made small enough to fit inside the container. English examples developed in the mid-18th century as the tea caddy superseded the Chinese tea bottle. The caddy featured a larger opening to accommodate a spoon, replacing the previous practice of using the bottle's cover as a measure. Unlike many other small silver articles, caddy spoons were excluded from the exemption under the English Act of 1790 and were always required to be hallmarked.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Engraved and gilt silver
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- Willmore, Joseph
- Place recorded
- Birmingham
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Spoon caddy
- Museum object number
- 1339-1902
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.