Spoon 1703 - 1713

This silver spoon was crafted by Ole Olsen, a silversmith active in Norway during the first half of the 18th century. The spoon exemplifies the kind of luxury good that was becoming increasingly available to the growing middle class at this time. Note the material itself, silver, which has here been carefully hammered and shaped. The techniques involved – smithing, engraving, and polishing – are all highly skilled traditions. The surface bears an engraved design. In its own way, this spoon bears witness to the expansion of global trade, and the increasing circulation of precious metals and goods in the 1700s. It also prompts us to consider the labour involved, not only in the making of the spoon itself, but also in the mining of the silver from which it was made. Thinking about this history of making, materials, and context helps us to understand the significance of the spoon, and to look beyond the traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.