Sherborne Seal Top Spoon, 1624

What a great quality silver seal top spoon! This large spoon has a fantastic baluster-shaped cast seal to the terminal and a generously sized fig-shaped bowl. The massive seal is gilt and bears dated engraved betrothal initials to the flat plate for 1624. This is a superb quality spoon with a good hefty weight and at 7.6" long makes a great impression.

This form of cast seal is documented to have been made in the Sherborne area, especially within the Arden family workshop (see figures 3 & 4 in "West Country Silver Spoons & Their Makers" by Tim Kent and the front cover of "Salisbury Silver). The spoon bears a very clear pelleted circle bowl mark encircling a five petalled flower, however as yet we have been unable to ascribe the mark.