Spoon 1807 - 1810

This nine-inch-long spoon was crafted in the early nineteenth century by American silversmith Thomas Kinney. Utilitarian objects such as this can be revealing about the social structures of their time. Silverware, even a single spoon, would have signified a certain degree of wealth. The engraved monogram is a visual cue that the spoon was considered a personal object, perhaps even a family heirloom to be passed down through generations. Silversmiths like Kinney were essential to creating these symbols of status and refinement in the young American republic. To fully understand this spoon, we might consider the economic conditions that allowed for the accumulation of wealth and the social norms that dictated its display. Research into probate records, historical societies, and museum archives may reveal the original owner. The meaning of this spoon is contingent on its social and institutional context.