SOLD Charming 19th Century Hallmarked, Hand-engraved Tea Caddy Spoon boy with fish holding a nut in its

holding a nut in its little hands

Wear to the paint on the figures as evident

Or was its maker pleading to her mother to be kind to the cow

especially in this wide chain link collar

SOLD Charming 19th Century Hallmarked, Hand-engraved Tea Caddy Spoon boy with fish holding a nut in itsI didn't know I was looking for a tea caddy spoon, used for scooping loose leaf tea from a tea caddy into a teapot, but I came across this and fell in love with it, for the form and especially for the very folky engraving on the bowl, done I believe with hammer and graver (like a fine chisel) and which always makes me think of trench art. And that engraving happens to be very closely aligned with the engraving on a charming tole snuff box shoe also