Apostles on spoons? Devotion at the tea table? Wedgwood pink jasperware box

Well, I am devoted to a cup of tea and one of the fun things I found growing up with a part English family and then all over England is the prevalence of spoons and sugar tongs with figural ends shaped like robed apostles.  I have seen them from all the famous silver makers in in everything from solid gold to aluminum...EPNS and nickel silver, silver plated and hallmarked sterling silver.

This is a sterling silver pair of sugar tongs made in Chester, England in 1921.  Apostle spoons have been popular for centuries. They evolved with a religious or devotional use, the honoring of a saint, and often coming in sets of 12 with a Christ spoon to commemorate the Last Supper. The British Museum has a spoon dating to 1536. 


Apostle spoons were a popular baptismal gift or for weddings and confirmations but have become just a traditionally accepted classic design for spoons and sugar tongs. I was told once in England that you can even tell which of the apostles is represented by the way they are depicted and with what included elements, but I've never researched it. I just think they are a great English tea time tradition. For more about the sugar tongs above at Time Was Antiques, click on the photo.

Since it is Valentine's Day soon, here is a Wedgwood pink and white jasperware heart shaped box with the classical design of The Procession.  Wedgwood jasperware, which is a type of stoneware, is difficult and painstaking to make. We loved watching it being made in England at the Wedgwood pottery in Stoke. The museum in Barlaston, England is still doing some working exhibits of it's manufacture and is well worth the trip if you are by Staffordshire. The museum is absolutely incredible!!


To see more photos and info about the Wedgwood jasperware heart box at Time Was Antiques, click on the photo.


Wedgwood Museum website

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LOVE Valentine 10% Discount - enter LOVE coupon code 025 for 10% off orders over $50.00. Through February, may be reused. A sweet day for love! Use coupon code 025 when ordering for 10% off when your order is over $50.00.

Figural Dolphin Antique English Ring Holder

I absolutely love this figural dolphin antique English ring holder. Ring holders have been in use since rings were around...800 years perhaps? And ring holders have ranged from the pure practical to an elegant statement of the prevailing tastes of the period. This great ring holder is fashioned after a renaissance or elizabethan dolphin...I've seen it's twin on an old map when the explorers expected to fall off the end of the flat world! The detail is really terrific and although made in England 1920-1930s, it remembers an earlier and more decorative period. Things were about to change even more with the advent of art deco and the modern taste when this poor dolphin design would definitely be OUT!

You can see more about the dolphin ring holder at Time Was Antiques.

We are still running our FRESH START free shipping on orders over $25.00 with the code listed on the website. We all need a little after-the-holidays boost, don't we?

Today is Epiphany or Twelfth Night, the night the e wisemen or magis reached the Christ child and is traditionally the end of the Christmas season. We have our outdoor Christmas lights on tonight for the last time...they're coming down tomorrow. Then everything will look bare and dull.

But then we get to look forward to Valentine's Day, presidential holidays and generally the hope of spring to come.

Have a great day tomorrow (while we are taking down the lights) and have a cuppa tea for me!

I have this thing about victoriana...started by my English grandmother's gift of various items from her times growing up in victorian England. Lots of stories too...like having seen Queen Victoria's Jubilee procession and ox roast from a coach at 16 years old while recovering from scarlet fever. Cool!

The victorians were famous for embellishing everything, no matter how humble it's purpose and this is an example. This is a bread fork. The idea was that bread was an important part of a meal but manners dictated fingers could not be used. So they developed a fancy fork to take the bread or roll and transfer it to the bread plate. This particular on is of silver plate with a very pretty design. The bread fork measures 5 inches long and is 2 inches wide. There were actually a specialized utensil for almost every food, and there are probably hundreds of collectors for each type!

Victorian specialty silver table items are actually quite hard to find and I was thrilled to find this example in England last buying trip. One of the fun things from our archives at Time Was Antiques.

We had our son and daughter-in-law here from Utah for the last week and had a great time. Did walks around here enjoying the fall color and had some special meals together at favorite restaurants, like Sawadee Thai in Sequim and Chestnut Cottage in Port Angeles. Had a great card game one night...I actually won! Woo Hoo!!!

Heading to church this morning to celebrate with the body of Christ. Have a great day!