A rare Birmingham Guild of Handicraft silver spoon and fork

Price range: Sold

For sale is this very rare Birmingham Guild of Handicraft matched silver spoon and fork, the spoon Birmingham 1899, the fork Birmingham 1902.

The spoon is set with a green blue turquoise stone (possibly amazonite) and the fork an opal (probably opaline) blue stone.  Each is chased with a similar linear design on the stem and finial  For reasons I have not fathomed the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft made very few spoons (or forks).  This is in fact the only spoon of theirs I have identified.  None is featured in Simon Moore’s seminal work on arts and crafts spoons “Artist spoons and related table cutlery”.

The design is attributed to Arthur Stansfield Dixon.  The spoon and fork  are of interesting and unusual plain modernist design and unlike many arts and crafts spoons of the period.  The condition is very good for both.  The hallmarks to the spoon are rubbed but legible.  There are scratches and pitting commensurate with age to the silver.  The opaline stone has a very small surface chip.

Maker: Birmingham Guild of Handicraft

Designer: Arthur Stansfield Dixon (attrib)

Date : 1899/1902

Marks: BGofH, Birmingham, date letter “z”, “c”

Material: Sterling silver, opal(ine), turquoise or amazonite

Condition: Very good – see description

Size: 15.25 cm long

Weight : 25 grams 0.85 oz each