EPNS | Dutch Motif Figural Teaspoons | Set of Six | Original Presentation Case | Made in Holland | Mid-20th Century

The souvenir trade has always understood something that fine silversmiths sometimes forgot — that small objects carrying a legible story will outlast grand pieces carrying none.

Electroplated nickel silver flatware with Dutch figural subject matter was produced in Holland throughout the mid-twentieth century for the tourist and gift trade, sold in cased sets as keepsakes of travel or as presentation gifts. The tradition draws directly on the longer history of Dutch figural silver, where cast handles depicting scenes from daily life, architecture, and folklore formed part of the silversmith’s decorative vocabulary. In EPNS, that same language became more accessible without losing its narrative clarity.

Each of the six teaspoons carries an oval bowl on an ornate beaded and foliate stem, with a scrolled junction leading into individually cast finials. The six terminals are all distinct, depicting a range of Dutch subjects — figural genre scenes, a figure in traditional dress, an architectural element, and a windmill with well-defined sails and base. The level of casting detail is notably crisp for electroplate souvenir production, and the variation across the set gives it visual rhythm when displayed.

The presentation case is covered in tan embossed paper with a subtle marbled effect, opening to a dark red fitted interior with individual recesses for each spoon.

The spoons are in excellent condition with no notable plating loss or structural issues. The case shows light, even exterior wear consistent with age; the interior remains clean and intact.

Key Details

• Finish: EPNS (electroplated nickel silver)
• Mark: EPNS, Made in Holland
• Set: Six teaspoons with individual figural and architectural finials
• Decoration: Dutch genre scenes, traditional figures, architectural motif, windmill
• Case: Embossed tan paper exterior, red fitted interior
• Case length: 15.5 cm
• Case width: 14 cm
• Case height: 2.3 cm
• Total weight (including case): 167 g
• Origin: Holland
• Period: Mid-20th century

Collector Appeal

Unlike uniform souvenir spoons, sets with fully varied figural finials hold stronger decorative and resale appeal. The intact case and consistent condition elevate this beyond typical loose examples.

Six different stories told in cast metal, each one small enough to hold between two fingers — which is, in the end, exactly the right scale for something made to be remembered.