Luigi Valadier (1726–1785)
Spoon, 1783
Gilt silver
h. 8 5/8 in. (22 cm)
Collection Olivier and Desiree Berggruen
Michael Bodycomb
In the 1780s, Valadier produced a large and impressive silver service for the Borghese family in Rome. Only a few pieces survive, among them, this delicate spoon with the design of a Medusa head on its handle. The rest of the service’s flatware was decorated with similar motifs.