| INDEX | ALL SILVER |
| DESCRIPTION | Antique Irish Georgian solid sterling silver mote spoon with a traditionally pierced bowl and soft, single drop. The execution of the hand piercing is perhaps
not as fine as that of a London specialist piercer, although still perfectly acceptable. All I know of this spoon's original owner is that they were right handed and skimmed from right to left,
removing the motes with a leftwards and then upwards move against the side of the vessel. There is a hint of wear to the left of the bowl tip, otherwise this example appears unused, as you would
expect given the general improvements in the quality of tea soon after the manufacture of this mote spoon making mote skimming unnecessary.
Much of the original cost would have been in the manufacture rather than the metal so there was little to gain in scrapping. This may explain why these relatively delicate items have survived, at least in England. I have owned a dozen or so English examples and seen hundreds more both genuine and later, crude teaspoon conversions. Never an Irish example. A favourite customer of mine has found an unmarked (but probably Irish) one on display at The University of Illinois but that it is significantly different, being larger, fully gilt, with a flattened and elongated stem and, in my opinion, produced earlier and for ceremonial ecclesiastical duties. The one that I am selling here is the only hallmarked Irish example made for the domestic tea ceremony that I have ever seen whether in the metal or online. It is also the most expensive antique silver by £s/gram that I have ever purchased so I apologise for the price but I had to have it and paid what was required. |
| SILVERSMITH | John Sheils (1765-90) |
| DATE or HALLMARK | no date letter which is usual for mote spoons but the punch outlines of Hibernia and the Harp Crowned indicate pre-1787 |
| ASSAY OFFICE | Dublin |
| WEIGHT in GRAMS | 9 |
| LENGTH | 5 ½", 139mm |
| SILVER STANDARD | ·925 sterling silver |
| CONDITION | excellent |
click image to enlarge
| SOLD |
| Price £403 |
| item number m8831 |
| email questions to silfren@btinternet.com
telephone 07563 011924 experts available 24 hours every day |