Silver Toothpick Pendant Caryatid Mermaid Figure

Code: 10124

This is a rare 16th-century silver toothpick, decorated in the form of a mermaid. It is missing the tail, likely once forming an ear scoop. This tool would have hung on a chain, used at the banqueting table as part of high Renaissance etiquette. In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, gold and silver toiletry tools were fashionable dress accessories in Europe. Ear pickers were used by all levels of society in medieval and post-medieval England. The 17th-century English knew about the plaque, which they called “scale” or “surf,” and they were encouraged by their doctors to scrape their teeth frequently. They also knew that a buildup of earwax could cause deafness. A similar Ear-picker was excavated at Jamestown V.A. (see the last photograph).  

OBJECT: Toothpick

CULTURE: Renaissance

DATE: c. 16th - 17th century

MATERIAL: Silver

SIZE: 34mm x 20mm

WEIGHT: 3.08 grams

PROVENANCE: Ex. European Private Collection