Tea Spoon

Art Historical Context

Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, this delicate silver teaspoon, crafted by Teunis Denise Dubois 1775 and 1800, exemplifies the refined silversmithing of early American artisans. Measuring just 5¼ inches long, its modest scale belies the precision required to shape silver into elegant tableware, a hallmark of colonial craftsmanship. Dubois, a skilled New York silversmith, pieces that blended European influences with emerging American tastes during the Revolutionary era. Silver objects like this spoon were more than utensils; they were symbols of prosperity and hospita...