Silver deep-bowl spoons from the Mildenhall treasure

Deep, round-bowled spoons like this have been found in a number of late-Roman silver hoards. The decorative dolphin handles of these examples are gilded and originally had inlays, probably of glass, in their eyes. They resemble some of the dolphins depicted in the Hoxne treasure. The solder which originally attached the handles to the bowls has decayed during the time spent buried in the ground; it is now difficult to tell which handle belongs to which bowl.