Lot Essay
This spoon is apparently the mate to an example sold at Sotheby's, struck with the same mark and engraved with the identical monogram EFD (January 16, 1997, lot 103.) The Sotheby's example was dated in the catalogue circa 1690, but recent research has shown that Henricus Boelen (1697-1755) was not working until around 1718, the year of his marriage at age 21. His mark, HB conjoined, has often been attributed to his uncle, Hendrick Boelen (1661-1691), but Hendrick is described in his will only as "gunsmith," and is no longer considered to have been a working silversmith. Indeed, the marks formerly given to him (Yale 561) and to Henricus (Yale 620) are identical, and it is highly improbable that Henricus would, over 25 years later, use the same punch as his uncle (who died six years before Henricus was born). See Ian Quimby, American Silver at Winterthur, 1995, p. 196. The early style of Henricus Boelen's silver is probably due to his having worked with his father Jacob Boelen (1657-1729), who worked exclusively in the 17th century Dutch style. A similar auricular spoon by Jacob Boelen was sold at Sotheby's, January 30, 1991, lot 152, and another attributed to Jurian Blanck was sold at Sotheby's, June 29, 1989, lot 139.