Antoine Danjean is thought to be St. Louis, Missouri’s first silversmith with known examples. The Missouri Historical Society has a pair of teaspoons and the St. Louis Art Museum has a tablespoon by Danjean. He emigrated from France around 1800 settling in the St. Louis area. His primary business was the importation and making of trade toys (ornaments) for the Indians.

The AS monogram on this spoon likely stands for Antoine Soulard, a French emigre who came to St. Louis in 1794 where he was appointed king’s surveyor for upper Louisiana. At the time of Soulard’s death in 1825, “four large dish spoons” were among the items listed in his estate. This spoon is presumably one from that set. Mrs. Porter of St. Louis, a descendant of Antoine Soulard, loaned her stuffing spoon with an ASmonogram to the Saint Louis Art Museum in 1980 for the St. Louis Silversmiths exhibition, and it is pictured on p. 24 of the catalog.* Possibly it is the same spoon, or another from the set. This substantial spoon was probably made within the first decade of the 19th century and is in fine condition.