Gorham 'Old Medici' Choice Sterling Silver Preserve Spoon

An expressive pattern from renowned Gorham designer Antoine Heller, Old Medici features a variety of figures and imagery drawn from the Italian Renaissance period.

This example, a 7 1/4" long, 1.54 T. oz. preserve or jelly spoon portrays a matronly looking woman in festooned garb. She is carrying a tray laden with fruit with a basket or other container hanging below this.

Additional details include a gargoyle, a pair of doves with raised wings, and leafy tracery.

Most references date this to 1880, although Charles Carpenter in his benchmark Gorham Silver places it about 1883.

This is an early example marked with the company's "lion, anchor, G" emblem, "Sterling," and "Copyrighted" on the handle backside. It is also engraved with a lined script "EA" over "1897" in the open area on the reverse, further corroborating its age.

The bowl is oval, has a ripple rim with a slight flange, and is finished in a bright gold wash on the interior. This is bright cut engraved in a leafy pattern that mirrors the background of the main design.

In excellent, this retains clear pattern detail and has a bright finish overall. The bowl is free of dents, bends, or burrs, and is absent wear to the gold.