Silver spoon

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This silver spoon is one of two pieces of cutlery from a hoard of Pictish metalwork found on St Ninian's Isle at Dunrossness in Shetland. The hoard had been placed under a slab on the site of an early Christian church sometime between 750 and 825.

The spoon has a shallow bowl and a long stem curled into a loop. At the junction of stem and bowl is a cast dog's head with blue glass eyes. From its mouth a tongue extends to lick the bowl.

The St Ninian's Isle hoard contained eight silver bowls, 12 silver brooches, a sword pommel, two chapes, two eating utensils, three mounts and part of a porpoise's jawbone. They were buried under a church's floor, presumably for safekeeping.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-190-001-161-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  X.FC 276
• Date: 8th century
  Buried between 750 and 825
  
• Material: Silver; rod-like stem curled into a loop; pointed tip of shallow bowl curves upward; junction of stem and bowl has a cast dog's head with blue glass eyes
  Spoon
  
• Dimensions: 8.50" L
  
• What: Spoon
  
• Subject:
• Who:
• Where: Scotland, Shetland, St Ninian's Isle
  
• Event:
• Description: Spoon of silver with a cast dog's head with blue glass eyes at the junction of stem and bowl, from St Ninian's Isle, Pictish, 8th century
  
• References:
  • Small, A., Thomas, C., & Wilson, D. M. St. Ninian's Isle and its Treasure. London: Oxford University Press,1973 
• Translations:
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