Edward I Silver Acorn Knop Spoon, c.1300

Acorn knops are the earliest true English spoon type with production dating from between circa 1200 and circa 1400. Although difficult to exactly date, this medieval spoon will have been made during that period and we shall talk through some of the reasoning why we think the years 1275-1300 are most likely.

At just 5" long, this is a relatively small spoon and although the immediate appearance suggests it has a diamond-shaped stem, the narrow facets to both front and back actually make it hexagonal in form - the very narrowness of the facets place it in the 13th century. The stem tapers towards the finial and there is just the semblance of a rudimentary rattail on the back of the stem/bowl joint, whilst the join at the front has quite a deep drop in to the shallow bowl - these two features are representative of the final quarter of the 13th century - see Constable "Silver Spoons of Britain 1200-1700", page 110.

In line with other medieval English acorn knops, this spoon has a well modelled finial with cross hatching to the cup and an authentic looking pip at the top. There are traces of the original gilding at the point where the cup of the acorn meets the nut.

The bowl is slightly mis-shaped and has a number of small dings to one side and the stem has a few kinks, but given its great age of 700+ years, this spoon has survived remarkably well and these points add to the spoon's overall charm. 

This spoon was most likely made during the reign of King Edward I (1272-1307) - Edward Longshanks "Hammer of the Scots"