Solid Silver Olive Spoon With Ecclesiastical Decoration, Angers, 1758 – Guillaume II Hardy

Solid silver.

Single-bowl design.

Length: 34 cm.

Width of the bowl: 6 cm.

Weight: 182 g.

In very fine condition.

A rare and imposing solid silver olive spoon made in Angers in 1758 by Guillaume II Hardy.

This piece stands out for its remarkable proportions. Measuring 34 cm in length and weighing 182 grams, it possesses an unusual presence for an 18th-century serving spoon. The width of its bowl and the simplicity of its long handle give it a particularly elegant silhouette.

The handle, crafted in the “uni-plat” style, ends in a rounded spatula. Devoid of ornamentation on its main surface, it highlights the richness of the oval bowl, which is entirely hand-engraved.

The decoration combines a succession of trefoil cross motifs, lanceolate openings, and small circular perforations, arranged in a regular pattern. A second band of scroll-shaped openwork accompanies the border and enriches the overall design.

The repetition of the cruciform motifs gives the spoonhead a distinctly ecclesiastical character. Their combination with the lanceolate openings evokes the ornamental vocabulary of the openwork panels found on religious furnishings, particularly certain confessionals and liturgical screens. This work forms a veritable silver mesh, both decorative and functional, allowing the brine to drain when serving olives.

On the reverse side of the handle, near the spatula, are the old ownership initials “A M.”

The spoon bears the following hallmarks:

– the maker’s mark with the letters “G H” surrounding a key, for Guillaume II Hardy;

– the date letter “M” with a crown, corresponding to the year 1758;

– the Angers hallmark;

– the dog’s head discharge mark.

A French hallmark featuring the head of Minerva, added at a later date, indicates a subsequent inspection of the silver.

With its imposing dimensions, heavy weight, and richly re-pierced decoration of ecclesiastical inspiration, this spoon stands as a remarkable example of mid-18th-century Anjou silversmithing.

In very fine condition, with slight signs of age.