John Quick
A James I Antique English Silver Aphrodite Spoon, c. 1620
Length: 7 3/4"
Weight: 1 oz. 17 dwt.
Weight: 1 oz. 17 dwt.
Barnstaple
H0539
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John Quick, despite the little that is known for certain about his biography, is described by Commander How as 'the greatest English spoon-maker of all time'. Quick produced tremendously imaginative...
John Quick, despite the little that is known for certain about his biography, is described by Commander How as "the greatest English spoon-maker of all time". Quick produced tremendously imaginative spoons, including this highly unusual "Aphrodite" form.
The origins of the "Aphrodite" spoon finial, a style unique to Barnstaple, are shrouded in mystery. The theory preferred by Commander How is that this figure depicts, or evolved from a depiction of, the Virgin Mary; however, Tim Kent asserted that there is no religious connection, and that the figure may rather refer to ship figureheads. It seems plausible that every "Aphrodite" spoon was made by John Quick, though some bear other makers' marks.
Provenance:
The origins of the "Aphrodite" spoon finial, a style unique to Barnstaple, are shrouded in mystery. The theory preferred by Commander How is that this figure depicts, or evolved from a depiction of, the Virgin Mary; however, Tim Kent asserted that there is no religious connection, and that the figure may rather refer to ship figureheads. It seems plausible that every "Aphrodite" spoon was made by John Quick, though some bear other makers' marks.
Provenance:
The David Constable Collection.
Sotheby's New Bond Street, London, 29 November 2005, The Charles L. Poor Collection, lot 113.
S. J. Shrubsole, New York, December 1995
Christie's 23 February 1983, lot 212.
A Private Collection.
Publications:
Illustrated and extensively written up in Constable, D., "Silver Spoons of Britain 1200-1710", Constables Publishing, 2016, Volume 1, pages 348-358, entry number 59.