Souvenir spoon: sleeping lion
Probably Switzerland
1890-1910
Measurements
4-1/2 in x 7/8 in x 1/2 in
Materials
Silver with a gold-washed bowl
Credit Line
Historic Odessa Foundation, The David Wilson Mansion, Inc.
Accession Number
1971.1151
Inscription
"800" is stamped into the back of the bowl near the handle.
Provenance
Ex coll. Mrs. E. Tatnall (Mary Corbit) Warner
Comments
The recumbent lion at the tip of the handle is the dominant decorative image. It closely resembles the “Lion of Lucerne” in Switzerland (see souvenir spoon accession no. 1971.1149). Similarities to that spoon include the twisted handle, use of a pedestal below the lion, and another device before the join of the bowl.
The 800 stamp on the back identifies the silver quality, namely 800/1000. That level of purity is common in European flatware.
