Dessert Spoons

In the 1600s, the upper classes began to use individual table settings for the first time, resulting in increased production of utensils like forks, knives, spoons. They also had much more specific uses. These dessert spoons were crafted by Hester Bateman, whose status as a woman silversmith made her something of a rarity in early modern Europe. Like many women artisans at the time, she entered the trade only after inheriting her husband’s shop after his death. She was praised for her refined, elegant designs.