Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Spooning: The History of Spoons

By Herbert Reich

You see spoons every day, but how often do you think about them? Spoons look quite primitive, and it shouldn't surprise you to hear that they have been around for a good long time. Whether you handle them every day and wonder where they have been, or you are simply looking into what their history has been like, you will find that spoons have a long and illustrious history. Once you take a look at some of the history of the spoon and the various different kind of spoons that exist in our world, you might be a little surprised the next time that you see one sitting so quietly next to your dinner plate!

Initially, it seems small chips of wood or splinters of bone were used to bring food to the mouth. In Greece, there was some suggestion that small shells were used. In ancient Egypt, we see the some of the first purposely carved spoons, and they were made with a variety of different materials, including bone, ivory, wood, slate and flint. These spoons were often carved with religious symbols and might have mystic significance. There are many examples that the Greeks and the Romans used spoons. These spoons were made of bronze and silver, with spiked handle.

For people living through the During the Middle Ages, the spoons that you used often reflected how rich you were and what kind of mean that you had. For instance, it as common to see a peasant with a spoon made out of cow horn or wood, while a person of means would have a spoon that fit their rank, which would be made of brass or pewter. Of course, there were definitely many fine households that had dining tools that were made out of real silver, which made stealing silverware a real crime during the time period. The handles of the spoons of the rich might be marked with a fleur-de-lis, or they might be left blank.

There is a coronation spoon, of all things, that was used during the anointing of an English King. During Tudor England, spoons were adorned with the heads of the apostles and often presented as christening gifts. Love spoons were spoons at were carved out of wood and exchanged during a betrothal, while small sliver spoons were often given to small children as insurance of a rich and happy life As you can see, spoons have played a large part in our history!

If you are thinking about dinnerware, spoons in particular, you will find that there are a number of curios you might be interested in. Take some time and make sure that you consider what sort of history that you might be looking at when you sit down to dinner! - 15252

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