Shell-back Silver Mote Spoon, 1760 Nicholas Hearnden

This is a lovely Georgian silver mote spoon made in London by Nicholas Hearnden.

The spoon features a scroll-pierced bowl with shell design to the heel. The handle tip is in the form of a mitre and the stem is struck twice with appropriate hallmarks in typical fashion for mote spoons.The pierced bowl was used to take dust motes from the surface of tea and the mitre-end to unclog blocked teapot spouts.

A nice touch is the betrothal triangle engraved to the reverse side of the bowl - this reads as "S" (for the surname) over "I" (old style J for the initial of the husband) and "M" (initial of wife) - suggesting the spoon was originally given as a wedding gift.

The marks read as a lion passant to guarantee the Sterling standard of silver and the maker's mark which is a script "NH". This mark would have originally been logged in a register which has since been destroyed. However, the silversmith Nicholas Hearnden fits the working period and as his master was Marmaduke Daintrey who was an accomplished maker of mote spoons, there is a strong likelihood that the spoon was made by him.

This spoon is in fine condition and it is satisfying to have legible marks because the narrow stems of mote spoons means that marks are generally worn, mis-struck or missing.