.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Apostle Spoons
The apostle spoon represents an important development in pre-Restoration spoons with the appearance of a finial cast as a full figure. The earliest examples of this form are the Wodewose spoons, with finials cast with a wild man figure, which appear in the 13th and 14th centuries (The Benson Collection; Christie's, London, 4 June 2013, lot 320).
Spoons with cast apostle finials were probably made as early as the 14th century, though the earliest examples which can be definitely dated are a number of examples, presumably once part of a set, which have London hallmarks for 1490 (The Benson Collection, lot 329). Traditionally they would have been made in groups of twelve, one to represent each apostle, to which the Master was added to make a set of thirteen, however, given the relatively small number of complete sets to have survived it is perhaps as likely that they were intended to be given as gifts, either individually or in pairs. The present spoon perhaps was originally part of a set as four other spoons by the same maker and same date are known:
St Simon, recorded from the collection of Major and Mrs. Charles Chichester (Commander and J. P. How, English and Scottish Silver Spoons, Mediaeval to Late Stuart and Pre-Elizabethan Hallmarks on English Plate, London, 1957, vol. 3, p. 45, cycle III, no. 2).
St Paul, A Gentleman; Christie's, London, 15 June 1966, lot 85.
St Philip, John N. Hart, Esq., of The Meadow House, Potters Bar; Christie's, London, 28 June 1939, lot 129, reportedly found behind the grate of a chimney in a labourer's cottage which was being pulled down at Rockhampton, Gloucestershire.
St Matthias, The Executors of the Most Honourable Gavin, Marquess of Breadalbane, deceased; Christie's, London, 12 May 1926, lot 81.
William Simpson: Maker's Mark 'Fringed S'
The attribution to William Simpson of the maker's mark 'fringed S', which appears on the present spoon, as well as on a great number of other high quality spoons dating from around 1510 to 1545, was made by Timothy Kent in his London Silver Spoon Makers (London, 1981, pp. 9-10). Like the other extant apostle spoons by William Simpson, the present spoon is of good gauge and the finial is finely cast. The finial can be compared to other examples by Simpson such as the Master and Twelve from the Dor Collection (Commander G. E. P. How and J. P. How, op. cit., London, 1953, vol. 2, p. 26-27).
The apostle spoon represents an important development in pre-Restoration spoons with the appearance of a finial cast as a full figure. The earliest examples of this form are the Wodewose spoons, with finials cast with a wild man figure, which appear in the 13th and 14th centuries (The Benson Collection; Christie's, London, 4 June 2013, lot 320).
Spoons with cast apostle finials were probably made as early as the 14th century, though the earliest examples which can be definitely dated are a number of examples, presumably once part of a set, which have London hallmarks for 1490 (The Benson Collection, lot 329). Traditionally they would have been made in groups of twelve, one to represent each apostle, to which the Master was added to make a set of thirteen, however, given the relatively small number of complete sets to have survived it is perhaps as likely that they were intended to be given as gifts, either individually or in pairs. The present spoon perhaps was originally part of a set as four other spoons by the same maker and same date are known:
St Simon, recorded from the collection of Major and Mrs. Charles Chichester (Commander and J. P. How, English and Scottish Silver Spoons, Mediaeval to Late Stuart and Pre-Elizabethan Hallmarks on English Plate, London, 1957, vol. 3, p. 45, cycle III, no. 2).
St Paul, A Gentleman; Christie's, London, 15 June 1966, lot 85.
St Philip, John N. Hart, Esq., of The Meadow House, Potters Bar; Christie's, London, 28 June 1939, lot 129, reportedly found behind the grate of a chimney in a labourer's cottage which was being pulled down at Rockhampton, Gloucestershire.
St Matthias, The Executors of the Most Honourable Gavin, Marquess of Breadalbane, deceased; Christie's, London, 12 May 1926, lot 81.
William Simpson: Maker's Mark 'Fringed S'
The attribution to William Simpson of the maker's mark 'fringed S', which appears on the present spoon, as well as on a great number of other high quality spoons dating from around 1510 to 1545, was made by Timothy Kent in his London Silver Spoon Makers (London, 1981, pp. 9-10). Like the other extant apostle spoons by William Simpson, the present spoon is of good gauge and the finial is finely cast. The finial can be compared to other examples by Simpson such as the Master and Twelve from the Dor Collection (Commander G. E. P. How and J. P. How, op. cit., London, 1953, vol. 2, p. 26-27).