silver, metal, sculpture
silver
metal
arts-&-crafts-movement
sculpture
decorative-art
Dimensions 3 5/8 x 1 3/8 x 1/2 in. (9.21 x 3.49 x 1.27 cm)
This little silver spoon was fashioned by the Handicraft Guild of Minneapolis sometime between 1904 and 1918. I can just imagine someone from the Guild, carefully hammering away at the metal, shaping and refining the form. It's so tiny! I can just picture it being used for condiments, or maybe even medicine. What do you think it was used for? The surface has these beautiful little indentations, almost like the texture of an orange peel. I bet they spent hours perfecting those, because they reflect the light in the loveliest way. It feels really personal, you know? Like someone put their heart and soul into making this little object, one in a long line of craftspeople passing down and transforming ideas. The spoon is a reminder that art is all around us, even in the most everyday objects.
Comments
The anonymous artist of the Handicraft Guild—likely a woman—used bold form and visible hammer marks to emphasize material and process when creating this spoon. The guild, an egalitarian organization housed in its own building in downtown Minneapolis, provided design and craft training and instruction. Most objects made by its members were marked only with “HG.” This spoon would have been sold in the guild shop alongside handmade metalwork, ceramics, leather, jewelry, and hand-bound books.
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