Elizabethan Apostle Spoon, 1579

This is a fine example of a mid-Elizabethan period silver apostle spoon with a gilt, cast figure of St John holding the cup of sorrow in his left hand. Bearing the crescent enclosing a mullet makers mark for the important spoonmaker Nicholas Batholomew, this fine quality apostle spoon has a hexagonal stem, deep, fig-shaped bowl and a gilt apostle terminal with sacred dove nimbus.

There are later dot pricked betrothal initials to the reverse of the bowl: "MA" over "NH" over "1657". Overall condition is excellent with a good patina and an unworn bowl with some very minor bruises. The majority of the original mercury gilding to the apostle is intact and there is a prominent, authentic v-notch join to the stem where the cast apostle was applied. A fine spoon.