Burr Maple Spoon With Silver-gilt Handle. Swiss Or German, 16th - 17th Century.

Burr maple spoon with silver-gilt handle and acorn finial.

Swiss or German, late 16th–early 17th century.

Measurements: length 14.7 cm; width 5.1 cm.

Mounted on an ebonised wooden display stand.

Carved from a single piece of richly figured burr maple, the spoon retains a well-proportioned oval bowl and a tapering shank. The handle is formed from a single piece of silver which has been gilded and worked in the round. The metal is modelled and chased into a continuous, sinuous composition of twisted, thorn-like branches that climb the handle and terminate in a finely modelled acorn finial. The integration of a single silver-gilt handle with the wooden bowl produces a striking contrast between the warm, variegated grain of the maple and the burnished, golden surface of the metal.

The thorny motif — visually reminiscent of the crown of thorns — would have imparted devotional or emblematic resonance to what might otherwise be a domestic implement, a treatment typical of Northern European luxury work intended for a wealthy household. The acorn finial and naturalistic branchwork reflect a late Renaissance taste for micro-sculptural metalwork and natural motifs.

The silver-gilt handle is securely attached to the wooden spoon; the object is structurally stable and complete. Gilding and surface modelling show wear consistent with age. The spoon is presented on a later ebonised wooden stand for display.

Provenance: Private Collection, USA.