Printed from Woolley & Wallis

Description

A RARE GOLD AND ENAMEL MOUNTED AGATE SPOON

EASTERN EUROPE, PROBABLY HUNGARIAN, LATE 17TH CENTURY

with a pear shaped bowl, the underside with a rats tail, the rim with a rope-twist filigree mount, the part faceted and turned stem with three conforming mounts decorated with white, green and black enamel, with a turned finial

20cm long

Provenance

Alfred de Rothschild (1842-1918), the Lawrence Room, Halton House, Buckinghamshire

Lionel de Rothschild (1882-1942)

Edmund de Rothschild (1916-2009)

The Trustees of Exbury House

Literature

Rothschild Archive, London, Manuscript: 000/174/C/3, Christie, Manson & Woods Probate Valuation of 'The Estate of Alfred C. de Rothschild, Esq. C.V.O. Deceased, Halton House Tring'. 1918. Listed as 'Two spoons of agate and onyx, with gold filigree mounts, £20.0.0.'

Catalogue Note

In the 17th century sets of matching cutlery were still a novelty and highly prized. It was the sign of a gentleman that he possessed cutlery made of unusual and valuable materials.

A similar spoon and fork can be found at Burghley House, ref. EWA08517, which appeared in the 1690 Devonshire schedule recording an immense bequest from Elizabeth, Countess of Devonshire to her daughter Anne, Countess of Exeter.