Navajo Sterling Silver Set of Eight Iced Tea Spoons [R]

Beginning as early as 1880, Native American silversmiths melted down silver coins to create unique items to sell to passengers on the Santa Fe Railroad.  By the middle of the 20th Century, artists were using sheet silver to create stunning souvenir reminders for the automobile travelers along Route 66. Sterling silver flatware and souvenir spoons were especially popular among the items purchased by adventurous travelers along Route 66.  Iced tea spoons were mementos that could be purchased as souvenirs and later used by the owners when they returned home from their Southwest adventure, an everyday reminder of their travels.

This Sterling Silver Flatware set of eight iced tea spoons was made during the middle of the 20th Century. Perhaps first purchased in a Fred Harvey gift shop, each spoon was fabricated by hand and has a small cabochon of turquoise at the tip of each of the handles which is framed with symmetrical stampwork. The  handle tapers elegantly to the bowl of the spoon which features one small crescent shaped stamp. There is no hallmark on the spoons.

Condition: excellent condition.

Provenance: the Navajo Sterling Silver Set of Eight Iced Tea Spoons is from an extensive Colorado collection

Recommended Reading:

- Navajo Spoons: Indian Artistry and the Souvenir Trade by Cindra Kline

- Inventing the Southwest: The Fred Harvey Company and Native American Art by Diana Pardue and Kathleen Howard

Relative Links: Sterling Silver Flatware, Diné - Navajo Nation