Curling Spoons

There's a collector in all of us. David B Smith gives a collecting suggestion for the curling enthusiast in this post which he entitles 'An Alternative to Collecting Curling Stones':

Strange as it may seem there are some spouses who are not only not in favour of encouraging the collection of curling stones in the family home but who are distinctly averse to the idea.

The problem is the space occupied by even a pair of stones. One could accommodate a very large and valuable stamp collection in far less space than that occupied by a single stone, as my wife has pointed out to me more than once.

In her defence I have been asked to say that within our house – in various places, such as, cupboards, shelves, under beds, and lying open in corners of rooms – there are more than 250 full-size stones of various ages, sizes, shapes, and weights. The surplus embellishes the exterior of the house. The increasing number of miniature stones has caused the remark – no doubt jocular – that the big stones seem to be breeding.

What, then, to collect, if the most characteristic item of our game is denied?

I recently acquired a small, pretty, interesting object of some value, since it made of silver. It is a tea spoon with a curling design upon the handle. Here it is:

This is the only spoon I have so far come across which occupies the whole of the handle with the design. Moreover it is unique in that it depicts an indoor game in a rink with a wooden barrier. On the reverse it bears the legend: BIRKS STERLING. No date.

The next group of spoons is embellished with a circular disc, at the end of the handle, which has the decoration.

From left to right, 1. Hall-marked silver, 1968-9, a stone below crossed brooms; 2. Hall-marked silver, 1950-1, a stone below crossed brooms; 3. EPNS, (electro-plated nickel silver), a curler delivering a stone; 4. Hall-marked silver, 1932-3, on reverse engraved RINK 1932, a curler delivering a stone; in a band round him PANMURE CURLING CLUB.

A small number have enamel badges as decoration.

From left to right, 1. Silver-plated, at top of handle an enamel badge of World Ladies Glayva Curling Championship Glasgow, 1988. 2, silver-plated, engraved on bowl GLASGOW, and in plastic an oval plaque with below the coat of arms of Glasgow a curling stone below crossed brooms; 3, Sterling silver, no date, a badge, silver and enamel, of Rideau Curling Club Ottawa. 4, EPNS, no date, a badge, enamel, of Edinburgh Ice Rink Curling Club.

The last group have three dimensional decoration in the form of stones or curler.

From left to right, 1. silver plated, no date, a three dimensional curler throwing his stone, engraved on bowl; Nelson BC (British Columbia); 2, silver-plated, no date, Great Britain, at top of handle a three dimensional curling stone.

Happy collecting.

David B Smith

Images are © David B Smith.