Ball spoon with vegetal ornament
Norwegian
Description
March 28, 2009
This spoon, named after the ball-shaped knob at the end of the stem, demonstrates how goldsmiths and silversmiths throughout Germany and Scandinavia transformed quotidian utensils into objects of display for the tables of the affluent middle and upper classes. For the decoration of the spoon, the artist employed geometric and plant forms as well as a Tudor rose incised into the back of the bowl along with an owner’s initials, “AMS.” In selecting these designs, the artist followed the common practice of borrowing motifs from prints and drawings of ornamental patterns that circulated widely around Europe at the time.
Subject Matter:
The ball spoon, named after the ball-shaped knop at the end of the stem, was a common type of tableware developed in the sixteenth century. This elaborately decorated example demonstrates how gold- and silversmiths throughout Germany and Scandinavia could transform such quotidian utensils into objects of display for the tables of the affluent middle class.
Physical Description:
This silver ball spoon consists of a round bowl joined to a stem composed of a flattened section and a twist stem that terminates in an ornamental ball knop. An incised six-petal flower surrounded by bands of geometric ornament decorates the interior of the bowl. The flattened section of the stem is adorned with vegetal ornament.
Usage Rights:
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