Spoon with Carved Figural Coral Handle
ca. 1600â1630
Classification
cutlery
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
The Robert L. Metzenberg Collection, gift of Eleanor L. Metzenberg
Accession Number
1985-103-82
About this artwork
Oval spoon bowl, gilded neck elaborately decorated with leaves, masks and scrollwork. Slightly curving handle of red coral, carved with a grotesque head on the front, above the upper body of a woman holding a ewer in one hand and an urn in the other, as if pouring liquid from one into the other. Back of handle has decorative pattern.
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...