Name/Title
Spoon, servingEntry/Object ID
L.2011.002.8Description
Moreau Sarrazin (1710-1761)
Serving spoon
Charleston, SC, ca. 1750
Silver
H. 15 3/4 inches
Engraved at the top: POSTERITATI; stamped: MS four times on the back of the handle
Lent by The Charleston Museum, Charleston, SC, 1998.066
Text to be inserted
Working in Charleston by the 1730s, Moreau Sarrazin advertised that customers could have their plate or seals engraved, as well as purchase motto, mourning rings and all manner of "Goldsmith's, Jeweller's and Silversmith's Work" at his shop. Sarrazin marked the reverse of this hefty serving spoon four times-a common practice among colonial Charleston silversmiths-most probably to imitate the number of marks found on imported English wares. The spoon is engraved with the seal of the South Carolina Society, a men's social and benevolent society. Founded in 1737 by French Huguenot artisans and merchants, the society gained great prestige and members were among the highest ranking of Charleston society. On September 16, 1737, Sarrazin was the eleventh member elected into the society. In 1738 he served as the clerk and as steward in 1748. It is probable that the spoon was made for a commemorative function or for one of Sarrazin's fellow South Carolina Society members. In the twentieth century, such long-handled spoons became associated with the serving of rice, grown in the Carolinas into the early-twentieth century and a staple on Lowcountry tables.Collection
The Charleston Museum C/O: Historic Charleston FoLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
Spoon, ServingNomenclature Sub-Class
Serving UtensilsNomenclature Class
Food Service T&ENomenclature Category
Category 04: Tools & Equipment for MaterialsIntake
Loan In
L.2011.002Lender
Dr. John Brumgardt, DirectorDate Received
Jan 12, 2011Date Returned
Feb 1, 2011Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
January 12, 2011Updated By
admin@catalogit.appUpdate Date
December 7, 2012