Good day friends.
I have here a teaspoon marked STERLING SILVER MIYAMOTO-SHOKO. Under the upper part of the stem is a pendant flag with a five-pointed star inside it. Also visible is what I deduce to be a scraping by someone not convinced by the wording, and wanted to do a test. Weight: 20 gram. Length: 12,8 cm.
The prolific Japanese firm of Miyamoto-Shoko was formed in 1890 in Ginza, Tokyo, and it is still in operation today.
Why can’t I find that pendant flag in connection to the Miyamoto Shoko firm? I’m hoping it might indicate some date? On identified antique silver, the marks of that firm are all in kanji characters. I can only think that the spoon must have been produced and marked specifically for “foreigners”.
Please, can anyone throw some light on the dating of this spoon and the meaning of that little flag?
Regards
Jan
Strange & interesting!
White Star Line silver plate, a brief buying guide. Advice for collect – Pursers Locker
History, marks and badges of Miyamoto Shoko/宮本商行 | Medals of Asia
Thank you, Bartholomew. Not a single picture of a pendant amongst your Miyamoto-Shoko sources. Strange!
I nearly became hopeful that my spoon might have been salvaged off the sunken Titanic, but the White Star flags are two-toed (split) whereas mine looks like a triangle (has a single point furthest from the flagpole).
Regards
Jan
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https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Miyamoto-Corporation-Aohata-Original-Silver/dp/B0CK5FDBPR
How to use the Arahata original silver jam spoon
If you use the product regularly and take care of it, it will keep its original beautiful luster forever.
After use, wash it with household detergent, rinse thoroughly, and then wipe off any oil or fingerprints with a soft cloth.
If you have any questions, please contact Miyamoto Shoko Co., Ltd. at 03-3573-3011.
How to use the wooden spoon case
Do not place near fire.
It may discolor if exposed to sunlight for a long time.
It may be damaged if dropped or handled roughly.
How to use the silver cloth
Lightly and carefully polish items made of soft materials such as precious gold.
Be careful not to rub gold-plated or plated products too hard.
Do not use on glasses, camera lenses, etc.
Do not place new or shiny items that are as shiny as new on it.
Rubbing too hard may cause scratches.
Polishing metal items will make the silver cloth worse, but its effectiveness will not change much.
Do not wash with water as the active ingredients will dissolve.
Thank you, Bartholomew. That’s a new insight for me. As far as I can figure, “your” flag-marked jam spoon varies from mine only in the type of imprint of the star itself. Mine is solidly punched in, whereas it is only your star’s outline which is punched in. That seems to strengthen my impression that my item is less recent than yours. And your spoon’s advertisement seems to have aired about 2023. But I think I’ll never be able to really date mine.
Now before I bore you and the forum members to death, let me say that I have heard one spoon collector explain that she collects spoons which each have ONE characteristic or aspect that makes them unique. Well, this spoon of mine is unique in my collection, because it is the only one coming from Japan.
Regards
Jan
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U welcome, my friend! 