Tea caddy spoon
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1800-1801
This silver tea caddy spoon was made in Birmingham, England, dating between 1800 and 1801. It is possibly the work of maker John Turner, whose name is associated with a recorded mark on the piece. The implement measures 7.00 cm in length, 2.90 cm in width, and 1.00 cm in height.
The spoon is fashioned in a leaf-shaped form, featuring an elongated curved bowl that resembles a botanical leaf. Its surface is adorned with linear and serrated engraved patterns tracing the central vein and side ribs of the leaf structure. A slender handle extends from the top of the leaf, looping into an open curled shape reminiscent of a plant tendril or stem.
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
Until the second half of the 18th century, the lid of the tea caddy originally served to measure tea. Around 1760, tea caddies shifted to flatter, more box-like forms, creating a demand for separate measuring utensils. Caddy spoons adopted diverse styles, including popular shell and leaf motifs, cutlery patterns, serving ladles, or pierced designs that replaced the earlier 'mote spoon' for straining tea leaves.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Silver
- Dimensions
- Height: 1.00 cm; Length: 7.00 cm; Width: 2.90 cm
Technical characteristics
- Inscriptions
- Date: Text: Research required; Latest: Research required; Earliest: Research required; Note: Research required; Type: Research required; Medium: Research required; Method: Research required; Script: Research required; Content: John Turner (?); Language: Research required; Position: Research required; Inscriber: Name: Id: A8728; Text: Research required; Association: Id: Research required; Text: Research required; Description: Research required; Translation: Research required; Interpretation: Research required; Transliteration: Research required
- Maker recorded
- John Turner
- 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
- Tea caddy spoon
- Museum object number
- M.197-1940
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.