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Silver birth spoon converted into a sugar sifter, Friesland, 1794

Silver birth spoon converted into a sugar sifter, Friesland, 1794

Regular price €395,00 EUR
Regular price Sale price €395,00 EUR
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Are you looking for a breathtaking piece of Dutch table silver with a rich history?
This extremely elegant antique silver sugar sifter spoon is a masterful example of early antique craftsmanship from the end of the 18th century.
This is an extremely rare, museum-quality object: one of the earliest known types of sugar sifter spoons in the Netherlands. This special spoon was originally crafted as a 'standard' birth spoon and was skillfully converted into a sifter spoon at the time. This specific transitional design, where the sugar sifter spoon evolved directly from the classic spoon shape, is historically documented by B.W.G. Wttewaall on page 215 of the leading standard work Nederlands klein zilver. Only a few examples of this unique design are known worldwide.
The silver bowl has a beautiful, flowing contour in the shape of a rounded egg and is richly finished with a fire-gilt interior. The center features a breathtaking and very finely pierced openwork pattern. The outer sides of the bowl bear a beautiful, neatly hand-engraved inscription in graceful cursive script: "Debora W. Fettevogel is Gebooren den 20 Maart 1794". At the base of the bowl, near where it meets the stem, there are also two historically significant English family crests engraved with extreme precision: a rising horned buck's head and a sitting lion, both resting on a torse.
The silver stem is cast in a richly detailed, twisted form with rocaille and baroque elements. The spoon is fitted with an authentic and unique cast silver handle in the form of a so-called 'Caritas' depiction (a standing female figure carrying a child in her arms, flanked by a second child at her side), which gives the spoon a fantastic symbolic value and makes it comfortable to hold.
The object is not hallmarked or marked, but can be attributed to a Frisian silversmith according to the typology and style of birth spoons from this specific region.

Specifications:
Length: 174 mm (17.4 cm)
Weight: 56.8 grams (solid silver)
Period: 1794 (Louis XVI / Directoire)

Origin: Friesland, The Netherlands (with later historical English connection/engravings)
This unique and charming sugar sifter spoon is in beautiful antique condition and is an absolute eye-catcher for a chic dinner, high tea, or for the serious collector of museum-quality Dutch small silver with international allure.
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Silver birth spoon converted into a sugar sifter, Friesland, 1794
Silver birth spoon converted into a sugar sifter, Friesland, 1794
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€395,00/ea €0,00