BYZANTINE SILVER AND NIELLO SPOON WITH INSCRIPTION 'PVRITAS' Ca. AD 500 - 600. A silver spoon with an elongated handle ending in a rounded finial and a flat section inscribed 'PVRITAS' in niello, flanked by cross-shaped marks. The handle descends at a sharp angle towards a deep pear-shaped bowl. For similar see: Christie's, Live Auction 22666, Antiquities, Lot 139; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Object Number: 2005.39. Size: 180mm x 25mm; Weight: 19.3g Provenance: Private UK collection; previously acquired on the Austrian art market before 2000. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.