Spoon thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Spoon

19th century (made)
Place of origin
Cambay (made)

This spoon was fashioned in the Indian town of Khambhat (also known as Cambay) and consists of a carnelian bowl and a moss agate handle, with gilt-metal mounts. The town, situated at the northern end of the Gulf of Khambhat, was once an important trading centre for the region until its harbour silted up. Despite having no stone deposits of its own, Khambhat has been renowned for centuries for the craft of agate-working and especially bead-making, with the raw materials coming from more distant sources.


Object details

Categories
Gemstones
Hardstone
Tableware & Cutlery
Object type
Spoon
Materials and techniques
Carnelian, moss agate and gilt metal. Fashioned using a variety of techniques.
Carnelian
Moss Agate
Gilt Metal
Brief description
Spoon, carnelian bowl, green moss agate handle and gilt metal link, Cambay India, 19th century
Physical description
A spoon consisting of a deep bowl fashioned in orange carnelian and a faceted, turned and engraved handle fashioned in green moss agate, connected via a mount of gilt metal engraved with scrolling foliage.
Dimensions
  • 722 1903 length: 217mm (Note: Overall length)
  • 722 1903 length: 55.3mm (Note: External length of bowl)
  • 722 1903 width: 39.25mm (Note: External diameter of bowl)
  • 722 1903 depth: 22.25mm (Note: External depth of bowl)
  • 722 1903 thickness: 1.2 to 2.5mm (Note: Thickness of the bowl's wall at the rim)
  • 722 1903 length: 122.5mm (Note: Length of exposed part of moss agate handle)
  • 722 1903 width: 6.3 to 6.8mm (Note: Thickness of the moss agate handle)
Credit line
W. H. Cope Bequest
Object history
This spoon was fashioned in Cambay (Khambhat), India in the 19th century. It was acquired by W. H. Cope Esq. who valued it at £2 and he subsequently bequeathed it to The Victoria and Albert Museum in 1903.
Summary
This spoon was fashioned in the Indian town of Khambhat (also known as Cambay) and consists of a carnelian bowl and a moss agate handle, with gilt-metal mounts. The town, situated at the northern end of the Gulf of Khambhat, was once an important trading centre for the region until its harbour silted up. Despite having no stone deposits of its own, Khambhat has been renowned for centuries for the craft of agate-working and especially bead-making, with the raw materials coming from more distant sources.
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
722-1903

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O472611/spoon/
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