Silver tea strainer or tea spoon, 18th century

Silver 'mote' spoon, used to strain tea leaves from the teacup as a precursor to the tea strainer.

The spoon dates from the early 18th century.

The bowl is beautifully sawn out and the spoon has a long twisted handle. This could be used to pierce a blocked tea spout.

The spoon has not been inspected.

Such a spoon is a rare sight in the Netherlands.

Weight: 9.7 grams. Length: 17 cm.