This spoon is one of a set of twelve which formed part of a dessert service and was a wedding gift for George Edward Sneyd, the close friend and secretary of John Patrick Crichton Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute (1847-1900), on his marriage to Elizabeth Stuart, Bute's cousin. It was designed by the Gothic Revival architect William Burges, who designed many unusual silver pieces.

Burges started his career designing churches, and was involved with major publications on medieval ecclesiastical metalwork. However, his subversive and playful brand of Gothic was more suited to domestic work. His greatest architectural achievements were the rooms he created in Cardiff Castle, his imaginative restoration of Castell Coch, and Tower House, the home he built for himself in London.

This was a complex commission. Burges' estimate book shows that various price options were tried out: there was a 'total without candlesticks' and the cruets were offered with either one or two enamels each. Early designs show that the centrepiece originally had no arms, and large freestanding candlesticks were intended. Most of these designs were retained by the Marquess of Bute, which implies that he took some interest in the design.

Eleven days after writing the service into his estimate book, Burges added another commission for '1 dozen silver spoons, including case' and 'two silver spoons, enamelled'. This second commission was from Burges himself, and constituted his own wedding present to Sneyd. So the spoons are inscribed 'GES from WB', whilst the inscriptions on the main parts of the service invoke the name of the Marquess of Bute in more majestic Latin. The commission was contracted out to Burges' preferred silversmith, Jes Barkentin of Barkentin and Krall.