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Caribbean Silver: A royal spoon and an unidentified possibly Haitian silversmith.

 Up for auction a number of years ago was a group of memorabilia related to King Henri I of Haiti. 

On March 28, 1811, a former slave and now revolutionary leader, Henri Christophe, had declared himself King Henri I of the Kingdom of Haiti. He established a monarchy and attempted to modernise the country through various reforms, including building infrastructure, promoting education, and encouraging agricultural development. Christophe is also known for constructing the Citadelle Laferrière, a massive fortress that remains a symbol of Haitian resilience and ingenuity.

In this lot was a spoon that was later resold through another auction house. It is crested with Henri's crest and has an unknown maker's mark struck three times (Crowned LS or IS) on the back of the spoon. This maker is probably an unidentified Haitian silversmith. There is still much research and work to be done on the silver and goldsmiths of the Caribbean Islands, as well as other colonial decorative arts in the area. 





Photos courtesy of Neals Auctions

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