Namur, 1743-1745jean-baptiste I Fallon, Louis XV-style Olive Spoon In Solid Silver And Vermeil

Vermeil olive spoon — Namur, circa 1743–1745, 133 grammes 
Jean-Baptiste Fallon I (1713–1800)

Solid silver olive spoon, entirely gilded, made in Namur during the second quarter of the 18th century by master silversmith Jean-Baptiste Fallon I.

Its elongated oval bowl features an elegant openwork design combining a latticework pattern, rosettes, and palmette and foliage motifs. The delicacy of these cutouts contrasts with the simplicity of the long, plain handle, which gradually widens and ends in a rounded spatula. On the reverse, where the handle joins the bowl, there is a rounded fastener.

Intended for serving olives, this spoon allowed them to be scooped up while letting their brine drain off. The care taken with the openwork and the richness of the vermeil make it a fine example of the specialized utensils that complemented the refinement of the 18th-century table.

The piece bears the hallmark of the city of Namur, depicting a rampant lion surmounted by a Burgundian flint, with the date 1737 inscribed below. This composition featuring a lion and a Burgundian flintlock is characteristic of Namur hallmarks from the Ancien Régime. This hallmark corresponds to the inspection period 1737–1745.

It is accompanied by the crowned master’s mark “BF,” identified as that of Jean-Baptiste Fallon I. This goldsmith’s admission to the guild in 1743 suggests the piece was made between 1743 and 1745, at the beginning of his independent career. A zigzag hallmark is also visible on the reverse of the handle.

Born in Namur in 1713 and died in 1800, Jean-Baptiste Fallon I began his apprenticeship in 1729. He was granted master status in 1743, after presenting a water jug as his masterpiece. He became a citizen of Namur in 1747 and served as dean of the guild from 1754 to 1757. Walter van Dievoet notes among his works candlesticks, a brazier, a snuffbox, and a chalice now housed in Namur Cathedral. He was the first goldsmith in a family in which several generations would continue this craft into the 20th century.

Bibliographic reference: Walter van Dievoet, Goldsmiths of the Ancien Régime with the Namur Hallmark, entry no. 86, “Fallon Jean-Baptiste I”; see also the 1788 oil lamp reproduced on p. 68.