Spoon (Teaspoon)

Museum Object Number 1961.0429.002

Object Name

Spoon (Teaspoon)

Category

Metals

Credit Line/Donor

Gift of Dr. Margaret I. Handy

Creator (Role)

Hannah Robinson (Maker)

Creator Notes

As per Fennimore, Delaware Silver, p. 246: "[Hannah Robinson] is celebrated among collectors of Delaware silver because she is the only woman recorded as practicing the craft in the state at an early date."

Date of Birth

February 2, 1803

Date of Death

July 1, 1878

Place of Origin

Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware, Mid-Atlantic, United States, North America

Date

1845-1855

Mark or Signature or Inscription or Label

1. Mark; Handle stem, underside; "H.ROBINSON." stamped incuse
2. Inscription; Handle tip, surface; "AEL" in feathered script, engraved

Materials

Silver

Dimensions (inches)

5.709 (L) , 1.181 (W) , 0.4586 (Weight)

Dimensions (centimeters)

14.5 (L) , 3 (W) , 13 (Weight)

Object Description

Web - 02/02/2016

This silver teaspoon with a pointed bowl and broad handle is marked with the name of the earliest known woman who worked as a silversmith in Delaware, Hannah Robinson. Spoons of this design (made in multiples) were typical offerings in her jewelry and silver shop during the 1840s and 1850s. The engraved initials on the handle surface, "AEL" are those of an owner whose identity is no longer known.

Bibliography and Bibliographic Notes

[Book] Belden, Louise C. 1980 Marks of American Silversmiths in the Ineson-Bissell Collection. 506 p.
• An illustrated glossary of spoon terms, pp. 467-488
[Book] Fennimore, Donald L. & Bartlett, Louisa D. 2008 Delaware Silver the Col. Kenneth P. & Regina I. Brown Collection. 355 p.
• Biography p. 246; spoons similar to set, p. 253.
[Book] Hindes, Ruthanna. 1967 Delaware Silversmiths 1700-1850.
• Biography p. 291-292.