Demitasse Spoon with Beetle
ca. 1890
Classification
cutlery
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase from Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program, Decorative Arts Association Acquisition, and Sarah Cooper-Hewitt Funds
Accession Number
1996-56-27
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection the *Demitasse Spoon with Beetle* French artist Charles Victor Gib dates to around 1890. This piece of cutlery exemplifies the refined world of late 19th-century decorative, where everyday objects like demitasse spoons—petite utensils designed for serving after-dinner coffee—were elevated into miniature sculptures. Gibert, a skilled French craftsman, adorned this functional item with a beetle motif, blending whimsy and naturalism in a nod to the era's fascination with the organic world. Crafted during France's fin-de-siècle period, j...