Tea Spoon
1775–1800
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
L. 5 1/8 in. (13 cm)
Classification
Spoon
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Alphonso T. Clearwater, 1933
Accession Number
33.120.475
Art Historical Context
This delicate silver teaspoon, crafted by American silversmith T. Den between 1775 and1800, exemplifies the domestic artistry of the early American republic. Measuring just 5 1/8 inches (13 cm) in length it hails from the Metropolitan Museum of Art American Wing and was generously bequeathed by Alphonso T. Clearwater in 1936. Silver, a prized medium in colonial and Federal-era households, required skilled handcrafting—hammering, chasing, and polishing—to achieve its gleaming durability and subtle elegance. Spanning the Revolutionary War and the nation's formative years, this teaspoon reflects...