Salt spoon
Label Text
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.
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Datec. 1780
Maker
Richard Humphreys
(American, 1749 - 1832)
Geography
Made -
United States
Medium/TechniqueSilver
DimensionsOverall: 3 11/16 in. × 7/8 in. × 5/16 in. (9.37 cm × 2.22 cm × 0.79 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mary Lee Bowman and Robert E. Lee IV, 1981
Object numberW-2532
DescriptionSilver salt spoon with circular bowl and downturned handle with faint midrib and rounded drop; chased feather-edged border around edge of handle; Washington's crest, a winged griffin issuing from a ducal coronet, engraved near the end of 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.
MarkingsMaker's mark: "RH" in a conforming rectangle stamped on the reverse.
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