Post-Medieval — 1665; 17th century
Seal-top spoon; Great Plague spoon
A parcel-gilt silver spoon with a rounded bowl, hexagonal-sectioned stem, fluted baluster and seal-top, made to commemorate the Great Plague of 1665. The bowl is struck with a triad of initials ‘IHM’. The stem is inscribed: 'Rd in A 1665 when dyed at London of the Plague, 68,596 of all Diseases 97,306'. The parish clerks compiled Bills of Mortality listing the causes of death and local victims of plague. The official death toll from plague in 1665 was 68,596, but this is certainly an underestimate. The deaths of Quakers, Anabaptists and Jews were not recorded and many deaths from plague were attributed to other diseases.
- Category:
- Post-Medieval
- Object ID:
- A27314
- Object name:
- Seal-top spoon; Great Plague spoon
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- I.I., Jeremy Johnson
- Related people:
- —
- Related events:
- —
- Related places:
- Production date:
- 1665; 17th century
- Material:
- silver, gilt
- Measurements/duration:
- L (overall) 171 mm, L (handle) 110 mm, W (bowl) 48 mm, L (whole) 173 mm, L (handle) 112 mm, W (bowl) 48 mm (overall)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Credit:
- —
- Copyright holder:
- digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.