A SMALL COLLECTION OF ANTIQUE SILVER
AND OBJECTS OF VERTU
THE WHAT IS? SILVER DICTIONARY

MOTE SPOON
MOTE SKIMMER

The silver mote spoon (silver mote skimmer) is a type of spoon having a bowl with a pierced pattern of small holes, used to skim off floating particles of tea leaves and motes (tea dust) from a cup of tea. The hamdle is thin and tapering, with a sherpened point.

silver mote spoon: Hester Bateman 1775
They are one of the most unusual and intriguing forms of collectable spoon and it’s purpose has caused much debate. The use as a punch, tea or lemon strainer, sugar sifter, olive spoon, caddy spoon and others have all been put forward as possible uses, but the most likely use was to skim the surface of tea with its pierced bowl. Mote spoons are generally teaspoon sized and were made from the late 17th Century through to the 1770’s. The pierced bowls vary from simple round holes to elaborate decoration
silver mote spoon: Hester Bateman 1770 silver mote spoon: Hester Bateman 1770
silver mote spoon: John Clarke I 1725 silver mote spoon: John Clarke I 1725
silver mote spoon: London 1720 silver mote spoon: London 1720
silver mote spoon: London 1725 silver mote spoon: London 1725
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