About this lot

Description

by William Pugh, Birmingham 1813, shovel shaped with mother of pearl handle, the blade decorated with bright cut basket weave design engraving

Footnote: The caddy spoon was used for measuring out loose tea. Traditionally made of silver, they were particularly popular in the 19th century, when tea was an expensive and luxury commodity. The tea itself was stored in elaborate boxes or caddies, and the spoons were designed with short handles and wide, shallow curved bowls to be used with such containers. The short handle enables the spoon to be locked in the tea caddy itself, securing both the spoon and the precious tea. By the turn of the 19th century, caddy spoons were not only becoming more popular, but also more ornate. The sheer number of shapes and styles veered on being works of art as much as being practical tools. The imagination used in the creation of different designs ranged from natural objects such as feathers, leaves, and shells to more imaginative creations such as hands, shovels, and jockey caps, as in these examples. By the turn of the 20th century, the silver caddy spoon and indeed loose tea were becoming less popular following the invention of the tea bag. By the beginning of World War II, silversmiths were finding little demand for these once popular and now highly collectable little pieces of historical flatware.

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