Samples of Mechanical Windmills
When we see a windmill, we have been taught to think of Holland. Not surprisingly the majority of windmill spoons are from Holland, although a few are from elsewhere. Windpower was of vital importance at the turn of the last century, and it will be of increasing importance at the turn of the next century.
These windmills are mechanical. They actually revolve. Spoons with mechanical parts are fairly uncommon, but windmill spoons are the exception.
closeup detail of windmills
These are cast pieces and soldered to the spoons as finials
The older Dutch spoons often had very pretty highly three dimensional scenes repoussed in the bowl, or the bowls were cast and then soldered onto a stem. These pieces are much more desireable. A modern version is shown in the next section.
Woman with basket Minstrels
Profile Tavern Scene
The four spoons shown above all have windmill finials.
These modern spoons may be silver or silver plated.
They are smaller than the pieces previously shown and the bowls do not have the same degree
of three dimensionality.
The windmills usually turn, but sometimes they do not
These pieces are normally very inexpensive
America is a land of immigrants. Many settlers came from the Low Countries and it is not surprising that we do have windmills in America. (We certainly have enough wind).
Milbank, South Dakota
Lawrence, Kansas
large repousse windmill from Holland. The repousse work is a difficult silversmithing skill. It involves punching the general shape of the object from behind, and then skilled chasing workmanship is required to define the image for the viewer. This process is very skilled labor intensive and is seldom used on spoons.
A very large set of windmill anniversary spoons may be seen by clicking here
More windmill spoons may be seen under "Large European Servers"
Return to Spoon World Index