{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O109114"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O109114/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AW2946/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AW2946/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AW2946","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O109114/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O109114","accessionNumber":"186-1869","objectType":"Spoon","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This sacramental spoon comes from an Ethiopian Orthodox church where it would have been used to serve the consecrated wine. It may have been brought to Britain as a result of the 1867-8 British Expedition to Ethiopia, when vast quantities of Ethiopian material culture were looted by the British Army from the fortress of Emperor Tewodros II at Maqdala.\r\n\r\nThe spoon is engraved with the Crucifixion flanked by the Virgin Mary and St John. ","physicalDescription":"Sacramental spoon, the handle cruciform and engraved with Christ on the cross and to his right his mother Mary and to his left St John the apostle.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Silver","id":"AAT11029"}],"techniques":[{"text":"engraving (incising)","id":"AAT53829"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Engraved silver","categories":[{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Black History","id":"THES48989"},{"text":"Christianity","id":"THES48978"},{"text":"Africa","id":"THES49019"}],"styles":[{"text":"First Gondar style","id":"x39014"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2006AW2946"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"83","id":"THES49711"},"free":"","case":"CA6B","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Communion Spoon","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Ethiopia","id":"x35090"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1650-1710","earliest":"1650-01-01","latest":"1710-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Cross spoon"}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"7.875","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"2","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"<u>Provenance</u>: Purchased by the South Kensington Museum from Mr W.H. Saunders, November 5th 1868.\n\nPurchased from Mr W.H. Saunders for £1.00. Received November 5th 1868. The date of acquisition suggests that it may have been brought to Britain as a result of the 1867-8 British Expedition to Ethiopia, when vast quantities of Ethiopian material culture were looted by the British Army from the fortress of Emperor Tewodros II at Maqdala.\n\nThe acquisition information for this object has been updated following a 2025 provenance research project on the V&amp;A’s Ethiopian collections","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Silver sacramental spoon, Ethiopia, ca.1650-1710","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Molly Judd, \"Researching the provenance of the V&A’s Ethiopian objects\" (V&A Blog), 14 January 2026. https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/museum-life/researching-the-provenance-of-the-vas-ethiopian-objects"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Christ","id":"N1515"},{"text":"Virgin Mary","id":"N480"},{"text":"john","id":"N103"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[{"text":"crucifixion","id":"V405"}],"associatedEvents":[{"text":"1867-8 British Expedition to Ethiopia (1/10/1867 - 13/5/1868)","id":"AUTH407033"}],"contentOthers":[{"text":"cross","id":"x31528"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Ethiopian Sacramental Spoon\r\n\r\nThis sacramental spoon comes from the Ethiopian Orthodox church and was used to serve the consecrated wine. It is engraved with the Crucifixion flanked by the Virgin Mary and St John. \r\n\r\nThe Ethiopian church was part of the Coptic church until 1959, when it became fully independent.\r\n\r\nEthiopia, 1650-1710. Silver\r\nMuseum no. 186-1869","date":{"text":"22/11/2005","earliest":"2005-11-22","latest":"2005-11-22"}}],"partNumbers":["186-1869"],"accessionNumberNum":"186","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1869,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2016JB5263","2017KA2904"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-12","recordCreationDate":"2005-02-07","availableToBook":false}}