Fresh Stock -Royalty, Armorials, and a Coronation Spoon…

The historic events of this weekend will be remembered forever in the history books, as King Charles III is coronated amongst the pomp & ceremony of the British Royalty.

We’re joining in, by releasing a splendid collection of ‘Armorials’, the table-items of the British aristocratic families which bear their coat-of-arms.

As well, there are two special ‘spoons’, both Sterling Silver with gilt wash.
The first is a perfect introduction to the process of Royal ascension. It bears the ‘Prince-of-Wales’ feathers to the end, and a finely detailed heraldic dragon, the symbol of Wales. This has been Prince Charles’s symbol for my entire lifetime; now, he has recently passed the title of ‘Prince-of-Wales’ to his heir apparent, Prince William.
Back in 1910 when this spoon was made, it would have signified the passing of the title from George V as he became King George V, with his son Edward becoming the Prince-of-Wales and heir apparent.

Unfortunately, Mrs Simpson came into the scene, and he never reached the stage of Coronation before his abdication in 1936.

The second piece we have – another spoon – would have been made with the Coronation of Edward VIII in mind, but was just as suitable for the sudden promotion of George VI to King, who simply took Edward’s place on the same date as planned, the 12th May 1937. This spoon would have been created in anticipation of Edward VIII’s event, but would have been just as suitable for George VI, as it doesn’t bear any names – unlike many other pieces, which were made in anticipation of the coronation that never happened!

This is the Royal Coronation Spoon, a very important part of the coronation of King Charles III in 2023.

The Coronation Spoon is the oldest piece of British Royal regalia to have survived. Stylistically 12th century, it is thought to have been made in the Royal workshops for Henry II (1133-89) or Richard I (1157-99). It is first recorded in the Royal inventory in 1349, described as ‘antique’.

The divided form is unusual, indicating it was not made for eating with, but for ritual; the suggestion is it was for mixing wine and water in a church ritual. James I was the first monarch to use it as a coronation spoon in 1603, and it has been used in every subsequent coronation since.

The Royal Collection website states the following about the spoon:

“The anointing is the most sacred part of the coronation ceremony, and takes place before the investiture and crowning. The Archbishop pours holy oil from the Ampulla (or vessel) into the spoon, and anoints the sovereign on the hands, breast and head. The tradition goes back to the Old Testament which describes the anointing of Solomon by Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet. Anointing was one of the medieval holy sacraments and it emphasised the spiritual status of the sovereign. Until the seventeenth century the sovereign was considered to be appointed directly by God and this was confirmed by the ceremony of anointing. Although the monarch is no longer considered divine in the same way, the ceremony of Coronation also confirms the monarch as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.”

This smaller version would have been a luxury ‘souvenir’ of the 1936 coronation of George VI.

Armorials

We have accumulated a large collection of Armorials at Moorabool. They were all ‘bespoke’ products, created for the family whose crest they bear. And this is the reason we have so many waiting patiently to enter stock: the Research of the original owners takes time!

It’s well worth doing. A Royal piece is the ultimate, followed by the ‘Greats’ of British (or European – or Colonial) History, those who achieved something to be remembered by.

Others are just splendid works of art which remind us of the pomp of high-society in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Of course, there’s descendants of many of these families all over the world, and once in a while we are thrilled to sell a piece of an ancestral service to a descendent.

Here’s a few of our Armorials – with many more to come.

General ‘Fresh Stock’