Rare Silver-Mounted Burr Maple Apostle Spoon

St. Paul, Swiss / German, c1600-1650

with a deep round wooden bowl and tapering faceted wooden stem, the pentagonal silver collar

having a finial of St. Paul, holding a Bible and long sword,

(the sword an emblem of martyrdom and "the good fight"),

6.75" Long

James I Provincial Silver Seal Top Spoon

Bristol, c1610

 the Seal pricked '1612'

Marked with a fleur de lys and 4 pellets to the bowl

& an incuse reversed R sided by two five-petaled roses to the shaft

6-3/8" Long / 1.4 oz.

EARLY-SPOON COLLECTING :

For those of you unfamiliar with early-spoon collecting, this 'addiction' may seem rather mundane. 

However...there really are a few aspects to consider. 

Until c1700, most people had only one spoon, given to them at birth. 

And that spoon "traveled" with them throughout their lives -

sometimes just through a slit in a hat.

The personal spoon endured questionable hygiene, rough portage

(foot, cart or carriage, horseback, maybe ship) and doubtless much unsavory food. 

 Each spoon thereby carries with it an unwritten diary of its owner's life - beit long or short.

 It just might be the most personal item you can own from the past.

MARROW SCOOPS : A Collection from Queen Anne to George III

 Roasted bone marrow was considered a great delicacy during the Queen Anne period,

when meat was quite expensive.

To accommodate the extraction of the marrow from the bone centers, silver spoons

with a long narrow scoop at one end were used, followed by scoops on both ends.

The earliest marrow spoons on record dates c1690. 

These scoops date from 1712 (Queen Anne) to 1762 (early George III).

 Today the delicacy has regained great popularity, and these spoons are ready for use. 

THE BOX :

George II Silver-Mounted Cowrie Shell Snuff Box

Jacobite Interest, with winged putti holding the flaming heart

William Hutchison II, London, c1736

The "flaming heart" is recorded as a visual image for Jacobite propaganda :

Jacobitism and the English People 1688-1788)

Gilt Interior / 2.75" Long

Rare Queen Anne / George I Blonde Tortoiseshell & Silver Snuff Box

John Obrisset, Signed OB, England, c1714-20,

the silver illegibly marked to the box interior;

Portrait of Queen Anne, after the medal by John Croker

Blonde tortoiseshell boxes are rare by Obrisset.

An example by Obrisset of Charles I is in the collection of the V&A, no. M.364-1921

Victorian Highly Chased Large Silver Scent Flask

Rosenthal and Jacob, London, 1890

Chased in the Dutch genre manner of  painter David Teniers the Younger (1610-90),

THE CERAMIC :

Chinese Export :

  Rare Kangxi Chinese Export Blue & White Porcelain Crucifixion Beaker

China, c1690

Kangxi Molded Silver-Mounted Bottle Vase

China, c1690

Each upright molded petal painted differently

Verso with an artemesia leaf within concentric circles

The mounts European, 18th century

10.5" High

English :

Bow Scroll Pattern Plate, & Dublin Delft Scroll Pattern Plate after the Bow

England, c1750-2, & Ireland, c1755-60

The Bow an exact copy of a Chinese export original;

Bow example exhibited English Ceramic Circle 1948, with label and reference number 154;

also cited in Bow Porcelain, Geoffrey Freeman, p.57, Pl. 67, as "the Toppin example"

Bow influence on Dublin delftwares discussed Irish Delftware (2000), Francis, pp. 105-6

9.25" & 8.75" Diameter

THE GLASS :

George II Jacobite Trumpet Form Wine

England, c1745

With Stuart Rose and two buds, the sun and a

white oak leaf

Ref : The Book of Wine Antiques, Butler & Walkling:

Also Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Royal House of Stuart,

Nicholson. 6" High

Early George III Double Series Opaque Twist Wine Glass

Irish Interest, England c1765

engraved THE YOUNG ROCKS OF HOWTH  

During the 18th century, wine during meals only accompanied toasts. 

The attending footmen would bring fully charged small glasses to each diner, to be drunk all at once.

 The glass was then returned to the footman, who would refill it for each toast.

Often a toast elicited such fervent agreement that very sturdy glasses became necessary :

 the "firing glass"- a small glass with a short stem and thick foot - which

guests banged on the table, making a sound just like gunfire - hence the name.

After dinner, the more serious imbibing took place for the gentleman.

 The ladies withdrew to the "withdrawal room" - probably out of self defense -

whilst "manly conversations" of politics, business - and bawdiness - began. 

If William Hogarth's engraving "A Modern Midnight Conversation" (1732-3) has any accuracy,

it is a wonder either the gentlemen - or the glasses - survived!

THE FINE ART :

Robert Cozad Henri, American (NY / PA) 1865-1929

"Final Touches", "December 25, 1925"

Pencil on Buff Paper, pencil signed within the drawing,

   The 'Annunciation', the 'Birth of Christ' and the 'Journey of the Magi' have inspired

some of the most extraordinary art in the history of mankind.

From the more stoic medieval art to the full blown renaissance, the examples are rich and myriad. 

We have chosen three works to illustrate this celebrative Christmas season.

Each is remarkable in its own way.

What better could represent "The Gift" than the remarkable

Mosaic at the Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy. 

The "Magi" mosaics, completed in 565 AD, are part of the mosaic panels on the north side of Basilica nave.

They appear as part of a procession of 22 Virgins moving toward the Madonna and Child, attended by angels. 

 The three Magi are depicted in Persian ("from the East") clothing, with leopard-print breeches, capes and Phrygian caps,

gazing upward at a star, each bringing gifts to the Christ Child. 

They are named in the mosaic : "Balthassar", "Melchior" and "Caspar".

This is thought to be the earliest example of the three names being assigned to the Magi in Christian art.

Each tiny tile is smaller than a fingernail.  Yet they are as bright and colorful originally made.

In 1995, UNESCO placed the Basilica on the World Heritage List, deeming it one of the

"most important buildings from this period of crucial cultural significance in European religious heritage art".

To view larger representations and a few details on this mosaic, please click here or on the images above.

Please click below for our other Christmas Catalogs :

Anticipation : Advent / Preparation

Anticipation : The Celebration

901-761-1163 (gallery) / 901-827-4668 (cell)

581 S. PERKINS ROAD / LAURELWOOD COLLECTION / MEMPHIS, TN 38117

Hours : Wed.-Sat. 11-6, or by appointment

Complimentary Gift Wrapping

mfcreech@bellsouth.net  or  mfordcreech@gmail.com

www.mfordcreech.com

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Please do not reproduce without specific written permission.

Anticipation : The Gift