Souvenir spoon: "Berne"

1889 or later

Measurements

4-1/8 in x 7/8 in x 5/8 in

Materials

Silver

Credit Line

Historic Odessa Foundation, The David Wilson Mansion, Inc.

Accession Number

1971.1225

Inscription

“E..T.W. / 1889” is engraved into the back of the handle

Provenance

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

Comments

The bowl of this demitasse-sized spoon is marked "Berne," which is a French spelling of the Swiss capital spelled without the "e."  The spoon has no other markings or indicators of a place or origin or celebratory focus.

Of interest, the back of the spoon handle bears the initials ETW for Edward Tatnall Warner, Mary Corbit Warner's third child born Mary 19, 1889.  The baby died on April 11, 1890.  This spoon was engraved to either celebrate the baby's birth or memorialize his death.  No evidence has come to light to indicate that Mary Warner ever traveled to Bern.