W.M. Root & Brother Tipt End Coin Silver Ladle

This cream or sauce ladle is appealingly proportioned. It is 6" long overall, weighs .7 T. oz., and has an ovoid bowl that is 1 1/2" by 1 3/4" and weighs .7 T. oz. Its slender proportions present in an elegant manner. The tipt end is engraved "E.P. Ives." in a fancy, feathered script. The mark is "W.M. Root & Brother," which was a Pittsfield, Massachusetts partnership dating from the the 1850's, although the style would suggest an earlier date. There is an eagle pseudo hallmark which McGrew illustrates in his work on marks, but his examples also include a letter, which this does not. It is in excellent condition. There are several dull spots where black marks were polished away, but otherwise the finish is brilliant, and the form is flawless. The engraving remains crisp and sharply defined.