Spoon (4) - .800 silver, .950 silver - French Silver Collection

1. Antique French .950 silver pelle à tarte/sucre. This elegant piece was made in France and bears the right-facing Minerva head hallmark (1st title / premier titre), guaranteeing .950 purity silver (higher than standard sterling). A maker’s mark is present on the bowl but is worn and unclear.

The scoop features a long, graceful handle with fine reeded/fluted decoration, a central ornamental band, and an attractive finial. The broad, smoothly finished solid bowl is perfect for serving sugar, tea, petits fours, or as a decorative table piece. It has a lovely antique patina with normal signs of use.

•  Weight: 33.4 grams
•  Length: 15cm
•  Good antique condition – some scratches, light wear and patina consistent with age and use. No dents, cracks or repairs. Ready to display or use.

A charming and practical addition to any silver collection, French flatware set, or tableware enthusiast. Perfect for everyday use or as a decorative object.

2. Authentic early 20th-century French porridge spoon (cuillère à bouillie), a classic baptism or christening gift traditionally used for feeding babies or invalids.
•  Maker: Joseph Caron (Paris, active late 19th/early 20th century) – maker’s mark visible (JC with barque/boat symbol).
•  Silver standard: .950 (1st title French silver) with the official right-facing Minerva head hallmark.
•  Construction: The handle is “argent fourré” (silver sheet over a filled core, typical French technique), elegantly shaped with decorative banding and a finely engraved terminal.
•  Bowl: Beautiful creamy-white Bakelite (early plastic imitating ivory or bone), perfectly preserved, lightweight and durable.
•  Dimensions: Length 15 cm.
•  Weight: 24.5 grams (confirmed on digital scale).

Excellent vintage condition. No dents, cracks, or major wear on the silver or Bakelite. Light natural patina consistent with age. The piece has been gently cleaned but retains its authentic charm.

This charming spoon combines high-quality French silverwork with the practical and hygienic use of Bakelite, very popular in the Art Nouveau / early Art Deco period. Similar examples by Caron and other Parisian houses appear regularly in French auctions and antique shops.
Perfect for collectors of French silver, christening memorabilia, or Bakelite objects. A lovely, usable piece of tableware history.

3. Elegant antique French Apostle spoon crafted in .800 silver (guaranteed by the French “tête de sanglier” / boar’s head hallmark used in Paris and major centres from 1838 onwards for small silver objects).

The spoon features a finely modelled apostle figure as the finial, an ornate twisted (barley-twist style) stem with intricate chased floral and decorative motifs, and a classic oval bowl with a gently hammered finish.

•  Length: 14 cm
•  Weight: 13.7 grams

Maker’s mark possibly that of Henri Louis Chenaillier (Paris), registered 3 January 1839 and active until 1859 at 277 rue Saint-Martin. The style and period are perfectly consistent with his workshop output.

Very good antique condition with lovely natural patina and light signs of use consistent with its age. The bowl and handle are intact with no cracks, dents or repairs. Hallmarks are partially visible (see photos).

A beautiful and collectible piece ready to display or add to a silver flatware collection. Apostle spoons are among the most iconic pieces of European silverware. French examples from the 19th century in .800 silver are far less common than their Dutch or English counterparts and are highly sought after by collectors of French silver, and 19th-century flatware.

4. Beautiful example of high-quality French silver flatware: an elegant antique solid silver small fork made by the prestigious Parisian silversmiths Olier & Caron (active c. 1910-1934), successors to Henri Soufflot at rue de Turbigo.
Hallmarks (clearly/partially visible in the photos):
• French Minerva head guarantee mark (right-facing, with the number “1” on the forehead) – confirming 1st title .950 silver (higher purity than British .925 sterling)
• Maker’s mark for Olier & Caron in a diamond/lozenge cartouche (the left side has been worn away by polishing over the decades – I have included a clear sketch and a photograph of the complete mark from another piece for reference)

• Ornate handle in classic French Louis XVI style, featuring delicate ribbon bows, floral and foliate motifs
• Blank oval cartouche at the end of the handle – perfect for engraving a monogram if desired
• Four perfectly straight and sharp tines in excellent condition
• Length: 14.8 cm (approx. 5.8 inches)
• Weight: 19 grams

Very good antique condition with only light surface scratches and a lovely natural patina from age and gentle use. No dents, no bends, no repairs and no evidence of monogram removal. The tines remain sharp and even. Ready to use or display immediately.

This charming small fork would originally have belonged to a dessert, hors d’œuvres, cake or pastry service. It is a superb example of early 20th-century French silver craftsmanship by one of Paris’s most respected houses – pieces by Olier & Caron are increasingly sought-after by collectors.