Church Strainer Spoon, 1743

This is a very rare example of a Georgian period church straining spoon. Church strainer spoons were used for removing dust from communion wine in much the same way that smaller mote spoons were used for tea; the obvious difference being the size - table spoon as opposed to teaspoon size.

The bowl of this straining spoon is beautifully pierced and the handle is formed to end in a diamond point. The style of piercing is in keeping with mote spoons of the mid-18th century and the stem appears to be of contemporary and genuine manufacture. Although the possibility of a later adaption from a standard table spoon cannot be completely discounted, it is our strong belief that this is a genuine example of a rarely encountered spoon. The spoon is in excellent condition with a lovely patina and clear hallmarks including the crowned "MD" mark of a top quality specialist spoonmaker.