Spoon, London, 1768-1769
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1768-1769
Spoon in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number 174-1903), made in London, dated 1768-1769, attributed to Dene, Thomas. The museum's brief description reads: Silver, English, London, 1768-69, mark of Thomas Dene. Museum description: Silver, Old English pattern with a long drop, the finial engraved with a crest of a dexter arm in armour embowed, holding in the hand a cross crosslet. The museum records it as Silver, forged and engraved, measuring Length 20 cm; Weight 63.3 g. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
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
The records of the London goldsmiths' Garrard for 1760 include customer orders for spoons and forks which are described as 'turn'd back'. This is almost certainly a reference to pieces like this, in which the finial turns back or down so that they can be laid on the table with the bowl or tines uppermost (as we would set them on the table today). Turned back finials are unlike the French patterns which English goldsmiths imitated during the second half of the eighteenth century, and consequently this distinctive style has come to be known as 'Old English'.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- silver
- Dimensions
- Length 20 cm; Weight 63.3 g
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Silver, forged and engraved
- Maker recorded
- Dene, Thomas
- Place recorded
- London
Design
- Inscriptions recorded
- Stamped on the back of the stem, L to R, from bowl: Maker's mark of Thomas Dene; lion passant, the mark of sterling standard silver; leopard's head crowned, the mark of the London assay office; gothic letter 'N', for the assay year 1768-69.; Engraved on the finial with a crest, an arm in armour embowed, grasping a cross crosslet
Identification
- Museum object name
- Spoon
- Museum object number
- 174-1903
- Museum system number
- O271857
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, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.