spoon
- Museum number
- 1988,0112.1
- Description
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Spoon; silver; with four-leaf clover motif enamelled in light blue on the handle, the surface matt overall.
- Production date
- 1904
- Dimensions
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Length: 18.20 centimetres
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- Curator's comments
- Text from J. Rudoe, 'Decorative Arts 1850-1950. A catalogue of the British Museum collection'. 2nd ed. no.131.
The design department of the silver manufacturers Van Kempen & Sons comprised a team of draughtsmen, modellers and engravers; from 1886 to 1924 it was directed by H. J. Valk (1863-1940), but the names of individual designers were not revealed and so designs cannot be attributed to particular artists in the design team.
During the years around 1900 Van Kempen had produced silver in a curvilinear Art Nouveau style, but from about 1904 the firm turned to more geometric forms, often of surprising originality. For teaspoons and a sugar shovel of 1904 from the same service, see Rotterdam and Amersfoort 1975, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, 'Menzen en Zilver, bijna twee eeuwen voor Van Kempen en Begeer', exhibition catalogue, no. A44; for a cake slice of 1905 also in matt silver but with the leaf motif enamelled in green, see Darmstadt 1962, Hessisches Landesmuseum, 'Jugendstil, Sammlung K.A. Citroen, Amsterdam', no. 175 (Citroen Collection). These handmade pieces with high-quality enamelling did not sell in large numbers and were produced for a short time only; see Krekel-Aalberse, A., 'Art Nouveau & Art Deco Silver', London 1989, 177-8.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1988
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1988,0112.1