Featured What is the Use for this Sterling Spoon?

Just recently purchased a lot of sterling souvenir spoons for my collection and this spoon was in the lot. I was able to find the maker and the pattern name. However, I don't have any idea what the spoon would be used for. It kind of looks like a fruit spoon but with holes in it. Any one know? The spoon measures 6 1/4" long and is on the narrow side. Thanks!

Edit: It was made by Wendell Manufacturing and the pattern is Athenia, ca 1890.

 

This appears to be a specialized serving utensil, likely a sardine fork, pickle spoon, or olive spoon used for lifting items from liquid.

& it's gorgeous !!!!!!

 

Thank you! I didn't think about Olive Spoon. That might be it. The spoon is from 1890 and who knows what weird stuff they ate then. (As opposed to the weird stuff we eat now.). I need better photos. I'm learning how to use my phone for photos instead of my camera. I liked my camera better but it connected to my computer with an HDMI cable. When I got the new MAC, guess what, no HDMI ports. I haven't looked to see if there's a converter yet. My phone creates much larger images that my camera did so I have to shrink them and when I do, it makes them too dark.

 

I had a stand alone card reader for my Olympus.......it took better pics than my wife's phone camera......... but the phone became easier and quicker to use...

Now she got an iPhone Air..........& there's no going back !

 

Great photos.

 

A real beauty.

 

THey used forks for olives, back then. It's definitely for something that had to be drained or strained. The shape of the spoon makes me wonder if wasn't for stirring hot chocolate or similar. It's teaspoon shape and the size is right for individual use.

 

Didn't they eat chutney back in the day? Would that have to be drained, like relish?

Thanks everyone for your ideas. I think I might keep this spoon even though it's not a souvenir of anything.

 

A small/short olive spoon, the bowls are more commonly oval or oblong, but pointed were also produced.

From Osterberg's 'Sterling Silver Flatware for Dining Elegance' (1994):








~Cheryl

 

Oh hell. Now I want one.

 

I'm not picky. Just hand me the jar of kalamatas and no one gets hurt.

 

Thanks, Cheryl! This is perfect for me as I love olives. I noticed in the above article you posted that they mentioned it could be used for relish as well. So I guess we were on the right track. The olive spoons I've seen have all been the long ones so I didn't recognize this.

Did you see the V monogram on it? Most of the souvie spoons I bought have the same V monogram and a date that the spoon was acquired, starting in the 1890s and going through the early 1900s. I love the fact that the spoons were all originally collected by the same person. I've named her Victoria.

 

You're welcome! Osterberg's book is also concerned with table settings, and I'm with him in believing that one should use silver for whatever is useful, rather than just the maker's designation. Like most references, there are errors and omissions - not sure where he got the idea that Wallace was the one company that made the "ideal olive spoon", which was a patented design licensed to numerous different silver and silverplate manufacturers (well-known information many years before his book was published). Chow-chow and piccalilli (relish) spoons were typically like olive spoons but lacked piercing (I love olives as well, and relish, and pickles).

And of course her name was 'Victoria' - what else would it be? I treasure a trio of Norwegian plique-à-jour spoons by three different makers, all engraved 'Amelia' by the same hand - I picture her gathering them on her Grand Tour and then carefully bringing them home for her jeweler to engrave...








~Cheryl

 

Cheryl, it's odd but those open olive spoons are Not my ideal. I prefer to see more silver, lol! And I can imagine that little pointy tip snagging on the linens.