This group of J. Tostrup’s spoons I call a design family. Each has been derived from a common design by scaling in size. The largest is 8 ¾ inches long, and its bowl is 2 ½ inches in diameter. The fifth and smallest member, the salt, is 2 1/8 inches long.
The backs of the bowls are engraved in different Celtic patterns. The insides of the bowls are matte, bordered by a narrow, polished band, except for number 4 which has patterns engraved on both sides of the bowl.
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Members of this family can be found with a variety of enamel color combinations, and several different wirework designs were offered as well. The finial wirework is varied also as can be seen.
Tostrup exploited this design by taking elements, the finials and the stems, and creating a tea strainer. In this way, he added showcase appeal and a new dimension to the family, at minimum production cost. I have seen illustrated, a rectangular picture frame assembled from the stems, the squares between the bowls and stems forming the corners. An example for the collection is on my want list.
These spoons are marked with either his “JT” mark or his “handled mug” logo, and sometimes by both. They were made in both Sterling and 950 fine versions.