Exbury House: Le Goût Rothschild - 05 Oct 2022
A RARE GOLD AND ENAMEL MOUNTED AGATE SPOON
A RARE GOLD AND ENAMEL MOUNTED AGATE SPOON
EASTERN EUROPE, PROBABLY HUNGARIAN, LATE 17TH CENTURY
with a pear shaped bowl, the underside with a rats tail, the rim with a rope-twist filigree mount, the part faceted and turned stem with three conforming mounts decorated with white, green and black enamel, with a turned finial
20cm long
Provenance
Alfred de Rothschild (1842-1918), the Lawrence Room, Halton House, Buckinghamshire
Lionel de Rothschild (1882-1942)
Edmund de Rothschild (1916-2009)
The Trustees of Exbury House
Literature
Rothschild Archive, London, Manuscript: 000/174/C/3, Christie, Manson & Woods Probate Valuation of 'The Estate of Alfred C. de Rothschild, Esq. C.V.O. Deceased, Halton House Tring'. 1918. Listed as 'Two spoons of agate and onyx, with gold filigree mounts, £20.0.0.'
Catalogue Note
In the 17th century sets of matching cutlery were still a novelty and highly prized. It was the sign of a gentleman that he possessed cutlery made of unusual and valuable materials.
A similar spoon and fork can be found at Burghley House, ref. EWA08517, which appeared in the 1690 Devonshire schedule recording an immense bequest from Elizabeth, Countess of Devonshire to her daughter Anne, Countess of Exeter.