Coffee spoon 18th century

This elegant coffee spoon was made by Benjamin Brewood II in the late 18th or early 19th century. Brewood was one of many American silversmiths whose work was essential to the rituals of daily life. Consider the labor involved in creating this seemingly simple object. The silversmith would have started with a bar of sterling silver, likely imported from Europe. It had to be heated, hammered, and shaped with great precision. The handle and bowl were formed separately, then joined, and finally the decorative engraving was added to the front of the bowl. While we might think of spoons as purely functional objects, in this period, owning silverware signaled a certain level of social standing. It reflects a growing merchant class eager to display their wealth through refined goods. This spoon embodies the intersection of craft, commerce, and social aspiration in early America. It prompts us to reflect on the meaning embedded in everyday objects, beyond their mere utility.