Large Spoon
Artist/Culture
Paul Revere
American, 1735–1818
Date1773
Mediumsilver
Dimensions21.5 × 4.3 cm (8 7/16 × 1 11/16 in.)
ClassificationsMetalwork
MarkingsMark: REVERE in rectangle
Credit LineGift of Frances Thomas and Besie Sturgis Paine in memory of Frederick William Paine
Object number1937.56.1
DescriptionOne of a set of eleven (11) spoons. Curved handle, engraved with Orne crest; rounded drop on oval bowl.Label TextIn 1773, Dr. William Paine (1750-1833) of Worcester commissioned a 45-piece silver tea service as a lavish wedding gift for his bride, Lois Orne (1756-1822). This constitutes the largest single order received by Paul Revere, the famed Boston silversmith, printmaker, and patriot activist. America's colonial elite visibly and quite literally displayed their wealth with silver objects. Valued by weight, this precious metal—in the form of coins, ingots, or decorative wares— functioned as money in an era before standardized currency. Silver also carried the hidden costs of forced Indigenous and African labor as well as environmental degradation in Latin American mines.ProvenanceDr. William Paine, Worcester
Frances Thomas and Eliza Sturgis Paine, Brookline, Massachusetts
Gift of Frances Thomas and Bessie Sturgis Paine in memory of Frederick William Paine
On View
On viewCurrent Location
- Exhibition Location Gallery 3003
Set/Part of a Set