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Could you help me please identify this item?
Judging by the design of the handle, I suggested that it was most likely Germany, the 19th century, the assay marks reminded me remotely of the English borders of the 17-18th century, but I understand that this product is unlikely to be so old ... Or maybe it's 18th century France?
Your sugar sifting spoon was made in Paris by Pierre-Nicolas Sommé, using his second mark of a hand holding a bunch of laurel. Sommé apprenticed in 1747 to Edme-Thomas Laurent, and later transferred to Eloy Guérin. He first registered a mark on 17 July 1760. He worked at rue St-Eloi until 1793, and retired to Versailles, where he was still alive in 1806. He had a long career, and a long life.
The other marks on your spoon are: the crowned A charge mark, in use from 1774-1780, the crowned O date mark for 1777, two other marks which presumably are a discharge mark and perhaps an export mark, although they are too blurry on my monitor to read properly.
The pattern of your spoon is called Filet or Thread. It is a well executed example, with a chased-in double thread, and a reinforcement around the bowl of the spoon. The biggest collector of sugar sifting spoons, Bilgi Kenber, has published a typology of piercing styles, should you wish to pursue further. There is an engraved personalization of a marriage coat of arms under what looks like the coronet of a marquis on the spatula, although again the image is too blurred to tell with certainty.
An example of a sugar sifting spoon by Sommé is in the Puiforcat collection at the Louvre.
You have made a very nice find. Congratulations!
P.S. In looking at the marks in the light of day, I see the dog head discharge mark in use from 1774-1780. Therefore all the marks (maker, charge, date, discharge) are in concordance. The last mark is still too dirty/blurry for me to read.
I just wanted to comment that the level of precision of the piercings is really spectacular, especially in the center of the bowl, thank you for posting :::
Thank you for the clear image of the engraved personalization. Yes, it is the coronet of a marquis over a marriage crest. It appears to be of the period. Perhaps posting in the Family Crests section could tell you something about the families.
The fifth mark on the spoon handle is still not clear to me. Perhaps a recount mark? I’m out of guesses on that one. The other 4 are as I described earlier: maker, charge, date, discharge.
Good luck as you pursue your research on this French sugar sifting spoon made by Pierre-Nicolas Sommé in 1777.
