Antique Silver-Plated Sauce or Soup Spoon with Hunting Dog Head Detail (6755)

EN

Antique silver-plated sauce spoon with hunting dog head motif

Period of manufacture The spoon was crafted in the late 19th century, during the Belle Époque and the flourishing period of historicism. It represents the refined culture of European hunting and cabinet tableware, where each serving utensil in the dining halls of manors and hunting lodges served as a thematic work of art, accentuating the aesthetics of social dinners and the celebration of hunting trophies.

Material and design The item is made from a solid, heavy metal alloy coated with high-quality and dense silver plating. The spoon’s design is both functional and decorative – it has a deep, smooth bowl with a distinctive, asymmetrically curved spout, ensuring convenient and precise pouring of hot soup, broth, or roast sauce without spilling liquid onto the tablecloth. The slender handle transitions in the middle section into an elegant, twisted relief segment, and its top is finished with an artistically cast, openwork handle. On it, on both sides, in a manner of excellent anatomical realism, is depicted the head of a hound or borzoi (greyhound) breed hunting dog in profile silhouette, complemented by a finely crafted hunting symbol – a wreath of oak leaves and acorns.

Application and condition This type of thematic tableware makes an excellent and noticeable accent for festive table settings, especially for serving game and classic roasts. It perfectly complements large porcelain soup tureens or silver-plated sauce boats. The spoon is in excellent antique condition – the construction and handle are completely firm, straight, and without bends or deformations. The silver-plated surface retains a pleasant, clean, and noble shine with a natural age patina in the recessed areas of the relief, which highlights the texture of the dog’s fur and oak leaves, carrying true collector’s value.

Snapshot of the era: Edvard Munch slowly approached the window, where the cool afternoon light slid across the wooden panels of the workshop. In the corner of the room, next to a porcelain tureen, catching the sun’s rays, lay a slender, silver utensil, its deeply curved bowl and twisted lines casting soft reflections on the dark tabletop. He did not touch the object, merely observed how the sculptural outline of the dog’s head and the oak leaf motifs at the end of the handle caught the last rays in the semi-darkness, as if a hunting story had paused in this silence forever. The cool smoothness of the silver and the warm glow of the material brought a cozy satisfaction to the salon, and this calm anticipation remained in the boudoir long after the pleasant afternoon glow had completely faded.

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