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Description
The name of the designer and maker of this influential spoon handle is absent from the silver itself, but John R. Wendt’s oval medallion with volutes and a rosette was the origin of an enduringly popular American silver pattern. The teaspoon’s handle tip features what Wendt called an “antique medal” (profile of a man’s head in a Phrygian cap) that most closely resembles his patent drawing dated May 13, 1862. This bust of Attis or Ganymede is uncommon, as Wendt’s workshop rapidly incorporated different profiles from antiquity while producing silver for several retailers in New York and Philadelphia. Within two years competing silver manufacturers began creating diverse and elegant variations on Wendt’s theme. Medallion ornaments on silver flatware and hollowware appealed to consumers with classically oriented tastes well into the 20th century.