The early 17th century apostle spoon of good weight and excellent condition,
having a fig-shaped bowl with the leopard's head mark
(and a later retailer or household mark BA in a circular punch),
the tapering hexagonal stem surmounted by an apostle finial of James the Less,
holding a fuller's bat with club end in his right hand and a book in his left,
his nimbus with a sacred dove;
V-attachment of finial to shaft

Marks :

Stem with date mark, lion passant and maker's mark IS;
the bowl with leopard's head, and a later household or retailer's mark BA

"James the Less"
Son of Alphaeus,
he was identified with the man the New Testament denotes as "the Lord's brother".
If true, then this James was leader of the Christian church in Jerusalem,
and said to be martyred there - modern records indicate stoning to death.
Some records say that James was called to persuade people to deny their belief in Christ,
and consequently thrown down from a temple, then stoned and beaten.
This could have been why his emblem is a fuller's bat, for perhaps he was beaten with it.
Feast Day: 1st of May

"John Saunders"
John Saunders (Castle Cary, Co Somerset) was Daniel Cary's first apprentice (1605),
free in 1612. Saunders had several apprentices of note, Edward Hole and Richard Vaux,
Hole becoming one of the most prolific spoonmakers of the 17th century.

7" Long / 2 oz.

 
SOLD 

#7439

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