Tudor Period Silver Seal Top Spoon, 1596 Cawdell

William Cawdell was one of the most prolific spoonmakers of the late Tudor and early Stuart periods and pivotal within the main dynasty of master/apprentice spoonmakers through the 16th and 17th centuries.

Dating from the late Elizabethan period, this silver seal top spoon has a hexagonal stem topped by cast seal finial with some minor loss of detail to the decoration. The fig-shaped bowl has some wear to the leading edge and feels a touch sharp, however the spoon has a good, legible set of hallmarks including Cawdell's distinctive "C" enclosing a "W" maker's mark and date letter for 1596.

The competitive price reflects the few minor condition issues, but given that this spoon has existed for four and a quarter centuries it is actually in very good overall condition and is worthy of any collection.