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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Silver, Room 67, The Whiteley Galleries

Caddy Spoon

1801-1802 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

A caddy spoon is a type of spoon for use in taking and measuring dry tea from a tea caddy, usually small enough to fit inside the caddy. English examples were developed in the mid 18th century when the Chinese tea bottle was superseded by the tea caddy, having an opening large enough to accommodate a small spoon to dispense and measure the tea and when the cover (the thimble top) was no longer used as a measure. Caddy spoons were always required to be hallmarked, being excluded from the exemption of the English act of 1790 relating to small articles.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silver, stamped pod, twisted wire handle soldered
Brief description
Silver, incomplete marks, Birmingham (probably), 1802-3
Physical description
Silver, in the shape of a convolvulus flower, the flower chased with stripes forms the bowl, the stalk with a leaf attached, the handle.
Dimensions
  • Height: 3.2cm
  • Length: 6.2cm
  • Width: 3.7cm
Marks and inscriptions
Marks incomplete: on the side of the handle: duty, sterling, date letter ‘d’ for 1801-2 (Birmingham), no town mark or maker. Date letter appears closest to Birmingham punches.
Credit line
Given by J. H. Fitzhenry
Object history
Acquisition RF: Fitzhenry
Gift - Fitzhenry Collection
Summary
A caddy spoon is a type of spoon for use in taking and measuring dry tea from a tea caddy, usually small enough to fit inside the caddy. English examples were developed in the mid 18th century when the Chinese tea bottle was superseded by the tea caddy, having an opening large enough to accommodate a small spoon to dispense and measure the tea and when the cover (the thimble top) was no longer used as a measure. Caddy spoons were always required to be hallmarked, being excluded from the exemption of the English act of 1790 relating to small articles.
Collection
Accession number
1252-1902

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Record createdMarch 3, 2004
Record URL
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