Spoon
ca.1430 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Some richly decorated objects were intended for display rather than use. The painted enamel used on this spoon was technically difficult and therefore much prized. The quality and material of this spoon suggest that it must have been the property of a person of rank and not intended for daily use.The bowl shows an ape riding a stag through a forest, in a playful scene from a lost romance.This scene is closely related to similar scenes on an enamelled cup, 'The Monkey Cup', in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The colours and distinctive technique of the enamel make it very likely that they were made in the duchy of Burgundy in the 15th century.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver, silver gilt; enamel; niello |
| Brief description | Spoon enamelled with a scene of a monkey riding through a forest,possibly Netherlands, mid-15th century. |
| Physical description | Spoon, silver, silver gilt. Enamelled on the bowl with a monkey riding through a forest, the back of the bowl with scrolling foliage, all painted in a palette of grey, black, white and highlighted in gold. The handle with an animal mask adjoining the bowl, the shaft decorated with bands of niello, and terminating in an oval knop. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | 6 SPOON
About 1430
Some richly decorated domestic objects were intended for display rather than use. The painted enamel used on this spoon was technically difficult and therefore much prized. The bowl shows an ape riding a stag through a forest, in a playful scene from a lost romance or folk tale.
Netherlands
Silver with enamel, gilding and niello (black composition)
Bought under the bequest of the late Captain H.B. Murray
Museum no. C.2-1935(2009) |
| Credit line | Bought under the bequest of the late Captain H.B. Murray. |
| Object history | Charles the Bold Exhibition RF.2006/635 |
| Historical context | Spoons are among the earliest domestic objects. As opposed to dishes or knives which were shared, spoons were treasured individual possessions. The quality and material of this spoon suggest that it must have been the property of a person of rank and not intended for daily use. By the mid 15th century the duchy of Burgundy was the major centre for the production of a specific variety of pictorial enamel in a style of grisaille, perhaps extending to Brabant and Flanders subsequently. The work was on small objects of silver or silver-gilt with a dark grounding over which white enamel was partly applied. Highlights were added in liquid gold. |
| Production | Probably Franco-Flemish |
| Summary | Some richly decorated objects were intended for display rather than use. The painted enamel used on this spoon was technically difficult and therefore much prized. The quality and material of this spoon suggest that it must have been the property of a person of rank and not intended for daily use.The bowl shows an ape riding a stag through a forest, in a playful scene from a lost romance.This scene is closely related to similar scenes on an enamelled cup, 'The Monkey Cup', in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The colours and distinctive technique of the enamel make it very likely that they were made in the duchy of Burgundy in the 15th century. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.2-1935 |
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| Record created | November 5, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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