Typical Demitasse Plique-à-Jour Spoons

Most tourists, if they bought a plique-à-jour spoon, chose a simple demitasse spoon with a small plique finial and a plain silver bowl. It was surely the option of lowest cost, and I suspect the entry level to the plique world. I base this claim on an inventory of over 425 plique spoons of all sizes in my (still growing) collection. Two hundred and twenty-four of these are demis—52%. Only one quarter have plique bowls and finials; three quarters have solid bowls.

These plique demis are typical of the market in the mid 1890s. Their designs are art nouveau styles: swirling lines featuring flowers, both explicit and stylized. Most are unmarked, or simply marked Sterling. The group right of center in the bottom row I believe to be made in the US. The European makers all exported to the US, and many retailers applied their marks. In the collection are several sets of identical spoons, one marked by the Norwegian maker, the other marked by the US retailer.

Typical Demitasse Plique-à-Jour Spoons

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