SOLD Superb quality, Authentic Antique, Polish, late 18th early 19th century, partially gold gilt solid Silver Gilt spoon, with ovoid deep bowl, the stem with elaborated finial depicting the bust of a woman in classical style which represents allegorically Poland, topped by a heraldic terminal with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth coat of arms with Polish Crowned Eagle, and Lithuanian Pahonia on opposite sides, surmounted on the top by a crown. The lower part of the stem is baring, sculptured in low relief, a portrait of Sigismund I, The Old King of Poland and Grant Duke of Lithuania. This portrait is sculptured after a portrait of Sigismund I The Old, painted by Hans von Kulmbach, painted in early 16th century, (please see the link attached to the listing). In the second half of the 18th century, during the reign of the King Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski prevailed fashion objects of art, referring to the glory days of the Polish kingdom, even the swords were decorated with busts of great Polish kings and inscriptions which appealed to the Polish military victories, from 16th and 17th century.

The front and back of the spoon is finely hand chiseled and engraved. The quality of this work is better than the quality encountered on jewelry. The execution of such a spoon by the artist goldsmith, which, in fact, makes this spoon a superb work of art, was a time-consuming and very expensive undertaking.

Since the spoon is unmarked, it must have been custom made for a special order, because the sale of unmarked silver was illegal, and penalties were imposed for such black marketing.

MEASUREMENTS: Overall length of the spoon: 21 cm (8.27 inches).

WEIGHT: 132 grams. (4.66 ounces).

Link to the portrait of Sigismund I the Old, painted by Hans von Kulmbach.