Dining ware made from silver was more valuable than wooden or pewter items and was therefore a key asset for improving worth. Apostle spoons were often given as baptism gifts and then bequeathed to heirs in wills. They were usually old, inherited items with rich symbolic significance associated with rites of passage in the lifecycle (birth and death). A tiny depiction of one of the biblical apostles could be found on the spoon’s final.<br /> <br /> Wealthier people had sets of apostle spoons (up to the full set of 12, or 13 if the set included Christ). Gifts of individual spoons were more common in middling groups. They might be associated with specific family members (possibly sharing the name of the depicted saint on the handle) and could be engraved with initials.<br /> <br /> The spoon is especially valuable in linking the religious significance of subject matter with familial memory. Spoons for practical use would be carried around on the person, but this sort of special spoon would be stored to it keep safe (in a chest for instance). This spoon has the figure of St John and bears the initials J G on the underside of the bowl.
Silver apostle spoon (Spoon), 1514-1515

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Silver apostle spoon

Silver apostle spoon (Spoon), 1514-1515

Dining ware made from silver was more valuable than wooden or pewter items and was therefore a key asset for improving worth. Apostle spoons were often given as baptism gifts and then bequeathed to heirs in wills. They were usually old, inherited items with rich symbolic significance associated with rites of passage in the lifecycle (birth and death). A tiny depiction of one of the biblical apostles could be found on the spoon’s final.

Wealthier people had sets of apostle spoons (up to the full set of 12, or 13 if the set included Christ). Gifts of individual spoons were more common in middling groups. They might be associated with specific family members (possibly sharing the name of the depicted saint on the handle) and could be engraved with initials.

The spoon is especially valuable in linking the religious significance of subject matter with familial memory. Spoons for practical use would be carried around on the person, but this sort of special spoon would be stored to it keep safe (in a chest for instance). This spoon has the figure of St John and bears the initials J G on the underside of the bowl.

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Object Type Spoon
Year 1514-1515
Material Silver
Owned By V&A RF: 21 / 1199
Keywords piety; belief; self-fashioning; assets; inheritance; giving; credit; memory; exchange; birth; metal; tableware
Image Credit Silver Spoon (1514-15), V&A RF: 21/1199. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

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