Souvenir spoon: Christopher Columbus

1890-1915

Measurements

3-3/4 in x 3/4 in x 1/2 in

Materials

Gold-washed silver and enamel

Credit Line

Historic Odessa Foundation, The David Wilson Mansion, Inc.

Accession Number

1971.1155

Inscription

B[?] and F separated by a smaller character are on the back along with “STERLING”.

Provenance

Ex coll. Mrs. E. Tatnall (Mary Corbit) Warner

Comments

The spoon features a handle rendered as an ornate column supporting an eagle with outstretched wings.  An American flag on a flag post waves above behind the eagle.  The spoon bowl contains the painted portrait of Christopher Columbus.  The specific image appears to come from c. 1700 Belgian engravings of Columbus such as the de Bry engraving of the painting by Sebastiano del Piombo now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession no. 00.18.2.

The maker’s mark is not identified.