POST MEDIEVAL SPOON

1550

A corroded baluster seal knop from a cast copper-alloy ('latten') spoon handle. At the base it angles to a point in one plane. The knop begins with a circular collar with waist above. The baluster part then expands gradually to another collar. Above is the expanded baluster element which is possibly decorated with incised transverse lines. Beyond a waist the knop then flares out into a sub-circular seal top, 12.6mm by 11.4mm, which is flat on the upper side.This type of spoon knop was common from the mid-16th to the mid-17th century. Moore (1999, 5) attributes their contemporary popularity to the fact that the owner's and donor's initials could be pricked or engraved onto the disc. On this example there seems to be no engraving however, but traces of gilt survive. Moore (1999, 5) also highlights the fact that such knops were cast separately and then soldered to the handle; this perhaps explains the nature of this fragmentary survival. Similar spoon knops can be cross-referenced on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database, for example record NARC-A13613 and HAMP-202033. This example now has a red/brown colour with lighter corrosion product all over.