I took a closer look at the spoons I bought and noticed a few unusual details about them.
First of all, when I checked the maker’s mark, which was Hatting, Meyer and Warne, there were only two pieces made by this company that I could find. 
One is an elaborate silver pitcher which I found on 1st Dibs. 
The other piece of this silver is in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Both descriptions indicate that the pieces were made in the late 1850’s and early 1860’s. The one small piece of information that I gleaned from the descriptions is that the company was based in Philadelphia.
The other unusual detail about these spoons is the shape of the bowl. 
All of the bowls are slightly misshapen and angle to the right. I wonder if that could be a combination of soft metal and someone eating from them the same way for more than 150 years. 
Since the shapes aren’t identical, they probably weren’t made that way. What you can’t see very well is that there’s a tiny lip at the angled side of the bowl.
The spoons are very light-weight and not the heavier hotel or coin silver that you see.
My friend Yonks said that the monogram is probably M.A.I. which leads me to believe that there’s no name change in my future!
I’d love to hear your speculation as to why the bowls of the spoon are angled!
I thought it was rather an "I" than an "F" as well and took all day to get around to digging out some examples to send you. My family, the Iddings family, has been in your area for nearly 300 years maybe it belonged to my ancient cousin. :)
ReplyDeleteI initially (get it?) it was a J, but then decided it was an F. But it's really probably an I.
DeleteI love the beautiful spoons, they are just so full of an old patina, love the worn spoon bowls, you can just imagine where they have been over the years..
ReplyDeleteOh, the stories they could tell!
DeleteThe irregular bowl shapes are, as you suspect, simply from wear: a family of right-handers who, for years or decades, were not shy about chasing with some serious determination the last bit of food hard around (and around) the rims of their plates and bowls. It's commonly seen in very thin bowled coin silver spoons, but also in thicker bodied coin and sterling spoons, and somewhat more rarely in electro-plated spoons such as these -- are fairly hard metal beneath the micro-thin plating of silver. The tines of forks often show the same patterns of wear: the middle two are long are fairly sharp relative the flanking tines that are shorter and blunter from wear, and a decidedly shorter left or right tine points to the fork having been used largely by a left- or right-handed person.
ReplyDeleteThe spoons are in a "Threaded" pattern, especially popular in the 1840s-1860s, and faithful and subtle variations of this standard have been produced more or less continuously from that time by various manufacturers.
Another example of Hatting, Meyer, Warne hollowware: http://laurenstanley.com/product-info.php?id=166
Thanks so much for the great information. I think you're right about that happened to them! It's just funny that they're all worn the exact same way.
DeleteThe link you added is the same pitcher that's on 1st Dips... she's got it in two places. It is surprising that there are so few pieces from this maker.
Are the bowls flatter than most spoons? They could be like the French sauce spoons, designed to skim a taste of sauces from the plate. But I would guess that RobtW is probably right and the shapes are that way due to use.
ReplyDeleteI think that RobtW probably hit the jackpot on that answer!
Deleteor maybe they were dropped down a garbage disposal? haha
ReplyDeleteEverything I've ever dropped in the disposal has been a lot more mangled than these are. They're merely misshapen!
DeleteLove ArchitectDesign's explanation.
ReplyDeleteHope that you are fully recovered and that the Maryland weather is gorgeous.
Mary
That's always a big worry!
DeleteWeather: snowing. again.
From use or design? A spoon to eat grapefruit perhaps? When did the serrated edge spoon evolve to assist the diner with eating fresh grapefruit sections ? Or Ice cream? That time period fancied a special spoon for each different food!
ReplyDeleteI am inclined to think it's from use. My mother has grapefruit spoons, and they're much narrower than these.
DeleteLooks like my Fiddle and Thread design. I have Frank Smith made silverware though i have purchased other makers from antique shows.
ReplyDeleteLook on Ebay. A lot of choice for Frank Smith Fiddle and Thread.
ReplyDeleteThey are definitely conversation pieces regardless of the reason!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
My father who was a historian would seek out these type of spoons and I was told that they are worn down by usage over time. He especially loved wooden spoons that are worn down. And since he died I find I seek these in antique stores. So If he was correct it is worn down usage (loved by families).
ReplyDeleteThe original owner used these spoons to dig holes in his garden where he buried the treasure. He was right-handed, thus the wear on the lower portion of the tip of each spoon. 8-)
ReplyDelete