Silver Enamelled Tea Spoons
Silver enamelled tea spoons bring colour and fine metalwork to the table, combining precious silver with vibrant glass decoration.
Silver Enamelled Tea Spoons
Silver enamelled tea spoons are small tableware items designed for stirring tea or coffee, frequently found as complete sets housed in fitted boxes with satin and leatherette linings. When you search for silver enamelled tea spoons, you encounter items dating mainly from the nineteenth century through to the mid-twentieth century.
The styles range from geometric Art Deco designs to ornate Russian Imperial and Russian Revival pieces featuring intricate cloisonne work. Sets often include matching coffee spoons, caddy spoons, or accompanying porcelain coffee cans and saucers alongside the teaspoons.
Makers such as David Andersen and Vasily Agafonov appear among the surviving examples, representing distinct regional workshops of the period. Buyers most frequently meet cased sets from the nineteen-thirties and nineteen-forties bearing hallmarks for British reigns or continental workshops.
How they were made
These items rely on solid silver or sterling silver as the structural base, often shaped into spoons, teaspoons, and caddy spoons before undergoing decoration. Artisans applied powdered glass pastes into hand-formed wire compartments or recesses across the metal surface.
Firing the pieces in a kiln fused the enamel to the silver ground, creating a hard, glossy coloured surface that contrasted with polished metal edges. Selected examples received an additional layer of silver gilt or gilt silver to enhance the rich appearance of the interior bowl or stem.
Silver Enamelled Tea Spoons Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for silver enamelled tea spoons among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Listings feature items spanning the nineteenth century, nineteen-twenties, nineteen-thirties, nineteen-forties, and nineteen-fifties, incorporating silver, enamel, porcelain, and satin.
What varies in quality
Quality depends upon the precision of the metalwork and the complexity of the enamel technique applied to the spoon. Pieces featuring detailed cloisonne cells require greater skill than plain enamelled surfaces, particularly when executed by named makers like Vasily Agafonov.
The condition and completeness of the original fitted case, often lined with satin and leatherette, influences the overall character of a set. Preservation of the fragile glass surface without loss or heavy abrasion distinguishes superior examples from heavily worn pieces.
David Andersen·Vasily Agafonov
The Silver Enamelled Tea Spoons Glossary
- Cloisonne
- A decorative enamel technique where fine metal wires form raised partitions to hold coloured glass pastes before firing. This method creates distinct patterns of coloured compartments across the silver surface.
- Silver Gilt
- Silver that has been coated with a thin layer of gold, providing a warm golden tone to the bowl or handle. This finish protects the underlying metal from tarnishing.
- Caddy Spoon
- A short-handled spoon specifically created for measuring tea leaves from a storage caddy. These examples frequently feature decorative enamelled bowls.
- Leatherette
- A synthetic material mimicking leather, utilised for the exterior covering of fitted presentation boxes. It protects the spoons when stored.
- Coffee Spoons
- Smaller scale spoons intended for use with demitasse cups rather than standard tea cups. They mirror the decorative enamel patterns of larger teaspoons.
Silver Enamelled Tea Spoons: Frequently Asked Questions
What are silver enamelled tea spoons?
These are small precious metal spoons decorated with fused glass enamel on the handles or bowls. They were produced as dining accessories, often accompanying afternoon tea.
Most surviving examples date from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, reflecting changing decorative tastes from traditional floral motifs to geometric styles.
How were cased spoon sets used?
Cased sets were typically given as wedding presents or special gifts, housed in fitted presentation boxes lined with satin and leatherette. They remained stored in their boxes for formal use rather than everyday dining.
Some sets included matching coffee spoons, sugar tongs, or porcelain coffee cans and saucers for serving guests.
How do I identify Art Deco spoons?
Art Deco spoons from the nineteen-thirties and nineteen-forties display clean geometric lines, stylised motifs, and contrasting enamel colours. These pieces often come in matching sets of six.
They reflect the modern design movements of the interwar period, diverging from earlier ornate nineteenth-century styles.
What is Russian Revival enamel?
Russian Revival enamelwork references traditional Imperial Russian decorative arts, featuring intricate cloisonne patterns and rich colour palettes. Makers such as Vasily Agafonov produced solid silver pieces in this distinct style.
These items are characterised by complex wirework cells filled with multi-coloured glass enamel.