Antique Old English Thread silver soup ladle

Pretty Georgian sterling silver soup ladle, made by prominent cutlery makers George Smith & William Fearn, in the old English thread pattern and engraved with a family crest.

Although the use of ladles in Europe can be traced back to the Roman era, and the production of silver flatware made in England from as early as the 13th century, silver ladles were not widespread until the mid-18th century, following the rise in popularity of the silver soup tureen. Silver ladles were quickly produced in many shapes and sizes, and the number of ladle types seems to have grown with the emergence of silver sauce ladles, stew ladles, slotted ladles and punch ladles, to name just a few.