Salt spoon 1850 - 1899

This is a silver salt spoon, three and a half inches in length, designed by Charles Christofle. Christofle was a goldsmith who lived and worked in France between 1830 and 1930. During this time, France experienced a period of industrial growth. The decorative arts flourished, and the use of silver tableware became common among the bourgeois classes. The spoon’s elaborate shell shape represents a culture of conspicuous consumption. The form recalls the kind of luxury that was once exclusive to the aristocracy, but was now becoming available to a new class of consumers. To understand the social conditions that shape artistic production, we often consult trade publications, museum records, and even household inventories to discover the significance of objects like this. By understanding the role of luxury goods in earlier eras, we can think about the social meanings that they have today.