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#
Turkish spoon of wood and shell,
# European spoon of horn,
# Southeast Asian spoon of rock crystal |
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| Spoons
have been used as eating utensils since Paleolithic times. It is
most likely that prehistoric peoples used shells or chips of
wood as spoons. In fact, both the Greek and Latin words for
spoon are derived from cochlea, meaning a spiral-shaped
snail shell. This suggests that shells were commonly used as
spoons in Southern Europe. Additionally, the Anglo-Saxon word spon,
meaning a chip or splinter of wood, points toward widespread use
of this material for Northern European spoons. In addition to
shell and wood, spoons have also been made from metals (such as
gold, silver, and pewter), ivory, bone, horn, pottery,
porcelain, and crystal. The spoons above consist of a variety of
materials.
In
the 1st Century A.D., the Romans designed two types of spoons,
similar in style to the spoons below, that ultimately had
far-reaching influence. The first, a ligula, was used for
soups and soft foods. It had a pointed oval bowl and a handle
ending in a decorative design. The second style of spoon was
called a cochleare, and it was a small spoon with a round
bowl and a pointed, slender handle for eating shellfish and
eggs. The earliest English spoons were likely modeled after
these two types of spoons due to the Roman occupation of Britain
from A.D. 43 to 410.
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#
Roman (?) spoon of bronze
# Southeast Asian spoon of bronze |
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| During
the Middle Ages, spoons, generally made of wood or horn were
supplied by dinner hosts. Royalty often had spoons made of gold,
and other wealthy families generally had silver spoons. However,
beginning around the 14th Century, spoons made of tinned iron,
brass, pewter, and other metals, as illustrated by the spoons
below, became common. The use of pewter, especially, made spoons
more affordable for the general populace. |
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#
Indian spoon of bronze,
# European spoon of silver,
# Persian spoon of bronze |
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