This interesting German made spoon measures about 9.5" (250mm) and features a beautiful art nuevo maiden with flowing hair and flowing skirt embracing a young soldier.
This spoon is cast and shows little evidence of hand workmanship. On the back it is marked "made in Germany", but there are no silver marks, although I am pretty sure that it is at least 800 quality. There are also engraved initials on the back of the stem.
The very nicely done finial features a nice art nuevo image of a maid embracing and kissing the soldier. She has long flowing tresses and a flowing skirt. I have seen variations of this image used to refer to a soldier returning home from a war. The helmeted soldier appears to be holding a stick (it might be a gun, but it isn't modeled as well as it could be) and a coiled rope.
The image in the lower part of the stem is also quite intriguing. It appears to show a well muscled man straining against the chains and arm irons which bind him. It looks to me like he might be a prisoner.
Could this spoon thus refer to a prisoner-soldier returning home?