Salt spoon
The silver flatware George Washington acquired in the 1780s included a host of specialized utensils adapted to distinct foods and occasions. Salt spoons allowed the condiment to be served from a small glass or silver salt cellar placed within easy reach of diners at, or between, each place setting. This example, fashioned by Philadelphia silversmith Richard Humphreys, features a feather-edged border and Washington's engraved crest on the handle.
Published ReferencesCarol Borchert Cadou, The George Washington Collection: Fine and Decorative Arts at Mount Vernon (New York: Hudson Hills Press, 2006), 189.
Martha Gandy Fales, "The Silver," The Magazine Antiques 135/2 (February 1989): 518.
Kathryn Buhler, Mount Vernon Silver (Mount Vernon, Virginia: Mount Vernon Ladies Association, 1957), 32, 35-36.