This handmade ladle with a shallow bowl and spout is typical of a cream or sauce ladle designed for serving small portions of liquid condiments. Such items were common in fine dining restaurants in the late 19th and early to mid-20th centuries, often as part of large silverware sets. German silver hallmarks were used to indicate the thickness of the silver coating on base metal. This system, often referred to as ‘silver plating’ or ‘silver coated,’ indicated a specific weight or thickness of silver applied to an item, which was common on cutlery and tableware. Many German silversmiths produced high-quality silver-plated items, and these items can still be collected today.
