George V Silver Spoon and Compact Set in Presentation Case

A George V sterling silver cased spoon and a powder compact,…
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A George V sterling silver cased spoon and a powder compact, comprising a George V copy of a famous early spoon: the 1528 apostle spoon with St. Nicholas finial inscribed 'Synt Nycolas Pray for Ws' (the original and only recorded example was sold at auction in 1902 for £690, a record at the time), in its original leather and green velvet presentation case marked 'Dobson & Sons 200 Piccadilly London', the spoon unmarked but X-ray tested .925; together with a domed square form compact with rounded corners, with engine turned geometric decoration, inscribed to the interior (1920 Birmingham, with maker's mark for Charles S green & Co). Weight 151g, length 16.5 cm (spoon), length 7 cm, width 7 cm (compact)

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  • George V - George V (1865 ? 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 1910 until his death in 1936.
  • Engine Turned - Engine turning is a decorative technique used on metal surfaces to create intricate curving or geometric pattern. The process involves cutting a series of lines into the surface of the metal using a rose engine or decoration lathe which rotates the metal as it cuts, allowing the operator to create a repeating pattern that covers the entire surface. The resulting surface has a shimmering, reflective quality that is often described as "engine turned." Where an engine turned item has been enamelled, the term used to describe the decoration is usually guilloche.

    Engine turning was originally developed to decorate metal objects such as firearms, scientific instruments, and other metal objects that required precise and elegant design.
  • Sterling Silver - Sterling silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of another metal, usually copper. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, and is relatively soft and the addition of the very small amount of copper gives the metal enough strength and hardness to be worked into jewellery, decorative and household objects.
  • Finial - An architectural decoration, found on the upper parts of of an object. On furniture they are usually found on pediments, canopies and shelf supports. On smaller ceramic or silver items, such as spoons, they may decorate the top of the item itself, or the lid or cover where they provide a useful handle for removal.

    Finials have a variety of shapes and forms. They may be urn-shaped, baluster shaped round or spiral, but usually taper into an upper point. Many real life shapes may also be used as finials, such as pineapples, berries, pinecones, buds, lotus and acorns. Sometimes animals such as a lion are depicted, or fish and dolphins.