Loading

Set of commemorative spoons collected by Ignacy and Helena Paderewski during their travels

Various manufacturers

The National Museum in Warsaw

The National Museum in Warsaw
Warsaw, Poland

A set of decorative souvenir spoons from the Paderewskis’ journeys to the USA, Australia and Canada, provide us with interesting information about the history and architecture of the relevant cities and countries. Interestingly, the spoon bearing the inscription “Detroit” was made in the famous Parisian goldsmith’s workshop of Henri Soufflot. It was common practice to have luxurious souvenirs manufactured by foreign companies specializing in the given craft. The wigged head at the top of the stem has not yet been identified – in France, this part of the spoon was usually decorated with the head or figure of a saint. The stem of the Sydney spoon is decorated with the state emblem, while the broad bowl features a sketch of the New South Wales city hall, erected in the 1880s in late Victorian style. The following spoon, in a form typical of such American products, is decorated with the massive building of a hydrotherapeutic facility in the seaside spa town of Helena, Montana, erected in 1889, when thermal springs were very popular in the USA. The stem shows the interior of a mine and the state’s motto from the times when gold and silver (Spanish: oro y plata) were mined there. The Toronto spoon is decorated with a glazed emblem showing the iconic maple leaf. On the bowl there is a neo-Gothic building designed by famous architect E.J. Lennox – the largest city hall in North America at the time.

Details

  • Title: Set of commemorative spoons collected by Ignacy and Helena Paderewski during their travels
  • Creator: Various manufacturers
  • Location: different locations
  • Type: decorative arts

Get the app

Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more

Flash this QR Code to get the app
Google apps