Detail of a silver spoon

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This is a detail of the silver spoon found in a hoard containing 28 silver objects and part of the jaw of a porpoise, buried in a ruined chapel on St Ninian's Isle at Dunrossness on Shetland. The objects probably belonged to a Pictish chief.

At the junction of the stem and the bowl there is a cast dog's head, with blue glass eyes. Its mouth 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: 000-100-036-424-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
  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:
  • Calder, Jenni. The wealth of a nation. Edinburgh: National Museums of Scotland and Glasgow: Richard Drew Publishing, 1989, p 118. 
• Translations:
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