Funeral spoon

American

Not on view

Funeral spoons were presented to family members or close friends upon the burial of loved ones. The inscription on the front of this spoon’s handle refers to Maria Van Rensselaer, who died in 1688 or 1689. Maria had married Jeremias Van Rensselaer in 1662 but was herself a Van Cortlandt. The initials “M G” are those of Maria’s great-granddaughter, Magdelena Douw, who married Harme Gansevoort in 1740. This utensil, therefore, represents the intertwining of several prominent New York families of Dutch descent.

Funeral spoon, Silver, American

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Funeral spoon, Silver, American
Funeral spoon, Silver, American
Funeral spoon, Silver, American

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.