One of a set of 12 Apostle Spoons / Artist Unknown, Germany

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Record Details

Accession Number
1975/2.188
Title
One of a set of 12 Apostle Spoons
Artist Nationality
German
Medium and Support
cast silver
Object Creation Date
late 19th century
Object Creation Place
Europe (continent)
Germany (nation)
Creation Place 1
Europe (continent)
Creation Place 2
Germany (nation)
Dimensions
15.5 cm (6 1/8 in.)
Century
19th century
Primary Object Classification
Decorative Arts
Primary Object Type
spoon
Physical Description
Silver spoon with figure of a man at the terminal end of the handle
Subject Matter
Originating in early 15th-century Europe, Apostle spoons became popular christening and baptismal gifts by the early 16th century. A complete set traditionally contains thirteen spoons with representations of Christ (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles, each with his respective emblem, at the terminal end of the handle. The spoons—usually made out of silver, but sometime other metals such as pewter—were especially fashionable in Germany, Holland and England and were often gifted by a godparent to his or her godchild. The wealthiest godparents would gift a complete set, others a smaller number, and the most modest a single spoon. Complete sets of all twelve Apostle spoons (such as this set from Germany represented here) are quite rare, while sets including the figure of Jesus on a larger spoon are even more exceedingly rare.
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Technical Details

Image Size
979 x 1477
File Size
134 KB
Record
1975/2.188
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1975-sl-2.188/1975_2.188.jpg

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https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1975-SL-2.188:1975_2.188.JPG

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"One of a set of 12 Apostle Spoons; Artist Unknown, Germany." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1975-sl-2.188/1975_2.188.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 28, 2024.
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