The souvenir teaspoon commemorates the federation of the Australian colonies. It is significant as a miniature compendium of the nationalist motifs frequently employed by Australian artists, craftsmen and sculptors during the last decades of the nineteenth century.

Notable among these motifs are the depictions of a ship, wheat sheaf, sheep, pick-axe and shovel, representing respectively commerce and trade, agriculture, the pastoral industries, and labour. While these allegorical representations are not specifically Australian, they were the most commonly employed to represent colonial industries and progress, for example in Tomasso Sani's statuary for the Chief Secretary's Office, Bridge Street or Achille Simonetti's Phillip Fountain in the Palace Garden, Macquarie Street. More specifically nationalist are the stars representing the colonies and the rising sun motif.

Despite its significance, Federation inspired a small output of celebratory artworks and souvenirs in comparison to events including royal visits and the 1914-18 War. This commemorative spoon is a fine example of Federation imagery.

Commemorative teaspoon, Federation of Australia, silver / enamel, made in Birmingham, England, c. 1901

Souvenir teaspoon, commemorating the federation of Australia. Plain bowl with simple acanthus scroll at base of stem which is in the form of a three lobed column. Wider at the top than at the base. Column is surmounted by an acanthus scroll identical to base, which supports a crest consisting of a royal blue enamelled "ribbon" with the words 'Advance Australia'. A quartered shield with white enamelled field on which are a sailing ship, a wheat sheaf, crossed pick-axe and shovel, and a sheep. The shield is divided by an enamelled orange/red cross with five stars on it. The shield is surmounted by a 'rising sun' with radiating streamers, with eyes and nose being depicted on the sun.

Made: Birmingham, England; 1896 - 1906

insc. medallion verso. "A1634"
stamp verso. medallion, [lion], "Z"
stamped stem verso. "J.F.", [lion], "Z", [Anchor]
insc. along stem "3311639"
marked on bowl verso. [lion], "Z"

A1634-1

1896 - 1906

25 mm