Spoon 1770 - 1830

This is a silver spoon made by Isaac Hutton, a silversmith active in Albany, New York, during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hutton's career unfolded in a period of significant transformation, as America was defining itself politically and culturally. The spoon, with its delicate floral engravings and the name "E. Van Z." inscribed on the handle, speaks to the personal and social rituals of dining. Silverware, like this spoon, was not merely functional; it was a marker of status, wealth, and belonging. Consider how objects like this reflect not just individual identity but also the broader narratives of class and social aspiration in the early American Republic. What stories do our everyday objects tell about who we are, and who we aspire to be?