Spoon

Unknown artist · 1700–1800 · Pewter

Two 18th-century pewter spoons stamped with their owners' initials, everyday tools for households that could not afford silver. Full commentary ↓

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Spoon is a work by an unknown maker (1700–1800) in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In the pictureTwo spoons with round bowls and flat handles lie in a black-and-white photograph. Initials are stamped at the end of the handles and inside the bowls, and the surfaces are scratched from long use. A measuring scale and label from the museum's photography session appear in the picture as well.

BackgroundPewter is an alloy of tin mixed with lead or copper. It was much cheaper than silver and had a low melting point, so it could easily be cast in molds. In 18th-century Europe and America, ordinary households used pewter for plates, spoons, and cups, and stamped initials on them to mark whose they were. Because the material is soft and dents with long use, few pieces survive intact.

Puzzle tipWith a black-and-white photograph and a plain background, the puzzle relies on shape alone. Assemble the round bowls of the two spoons, the straight handle pieces, and the scale and label at the bottom first, and fill the empty background last. 24 pieces is recommended.

Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art ↗

Stories about this work

Two Spoons and a Nameless Deer Sampler
Pewter spoons from a household that could not afford silver, and a 1761 embroidered sampler whose name was cut away. The last two works that fit no category.

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