Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-10-04
ANTIQUITY OF SPOONS
THEY ARE LINEAL DESCENDANTS OF
ANCIENT SHELL SCOOPS.
Metal spoons Were I'm Use In biblical
pays-Anofnting Spoons Are "a. old
as the Time when Prophet Nathan
Amounted Kfag solomon.

Days-AnofntfnE Spoons Are mi. ora
as the Time when Prophet Nathan
Amounted Kfag solomon.
A French scholar says: spoons are
old i do not claim that they are as
old as the world. but they are certainly
as old as soup" After which Il Is easy
10 believe that for the last five or six
centuries no self respecting family. OF
however humble station, but could
boast at least one spoon 20 its name.
whether OF silver. pewter or even
wood.
That spoons are the direct lineal de-
scendants OF the shell and horn SCOOPS
with which our ancestors were wont TO
convey fluid food to their mouths would
seem safe assumption. Many exam
pies OF these ancient spoons are seen I'm
museums and also OF the spoon OF
wood. which was the next step toward
the spoon OF today. II is from the
wooden spoon that the word Is derived
as the old English word "spon" meant
small piece OF wood.
That metal spoons were used I'm bibll-
cal days is certain. for I'm Exodus the
Lord tells Moses 10 make spoons OF
gold for use in the tabernacle. and to-
day there sre 60 be seen in the British
Museum spoons which certainly were
used ia the early days OF Christianity.
besides others found in the ruins OF
Pompeii and Herculaneum.
time when Nathan. the prophet anoint
Ell solomon as the ruler OF Israel. and
they have been used 10 anoint kings
from that time TO the present day. The
spoon with which England's rulers are
anointed by the archbishop of Canter-
bury Is AT least COO years old and has
been used for the purpose OF amounting
the kings OF England ever since IT was
remade FOR the coronation ceremonies
OF Charles II.
Another spoon OF great antiquity IS
the "Pudsey spoon given by Henry
VI to his friend and protector. Sir
Ralph Pudsey. I'm 14i5. at the time
when he was concealed I'm SIR Ralph's
house after the battle OF Hexam. This
spoon has the pear shaped bowl Of the
usual form OF all ancient spoons pre-
vious 10 the restoration. The handle Is
octagonal and at the end is nattened
out 10 form a seal. on which, IS carved
the kings badge. single rose Inside
the howl. near the shaft. IS the hall
mark OF the thirteenth century sterling
silver. a lcopard's head. and on the
back OF the bowl Is the mark Of the
maker. heart I'm outline.
This spoon is the most ancient
known piece Of silver in existence that
bears the indisputably authentic hall
mark or the English "Goldsmiths' com
pany"
All the earliest spoons have pear
shaped bowls. IL was not until the lat
ter part OF the seventeenth century
that they began 90 clongate toward the
egg shaped spoon Of the present time
Up To- the seventeenth century all
spoons were large and closely resem-
bled the modern soup spoon. the bowl
being very deep.
The handles OF the early specimens
were straight and rather heavy. but
about the time mentioned their shape
was entirely changed. The stem and
handle became fiat and broad and ut
the extremity were divided into points.
or scallops. and slightly turned up.
When this great change first began
teaspoons were made as small as the
after dinner coffee spoon OF modern
times. but rs the art OF making them
advanced they became larger and lar
ger until they attained the size they
are now.
Again. at the beginning Of the eight
ecnth century the handles showed a
still further change I'm that where the
sides were straight they had curves
and the shaft itself became slightly
undulated. At this same time were
also seen some innovations In the
shape OF spoons Tor specific purposes.
one being a spoon having Il perforated
bowl. with Il straight stem. which was
presumably intended To clean the
spout OF teapot. while the bowl was
FOR the removal Of floating tea leaves
from the cup.
This was undoubtedly the forerun-
ncr OF the tea strainer. Another spoon
was the Snun spoon. and besides this
the marrow spoon made its appear
ance. This first marrow spoon was n
crude affair indeed. but it was not
very long before il reached the form
in which il is seen even nowadays
that is, with the two ends OF different
sizes. one for the large bones and the
other for the very small ones.
Probably none Of the old spoons
equals in interest the apostle spoons.
which came into fashion IN the six
teenth century. 1t was an English
custom at that time for sponsors to
give these spoons TO the children for
whom they made themselves respon-
sible rs bapusmal gifts. \ wealthy
gOdparent gave complete set OF thir-
teen but Il poor one generally content
Ell himself with but one. that having
on It the figure Of the childs patron
saint. TO make up for the lack OF the
others. The complete set had Mas
ter spoon and twelve others, the Mas
ter spoon having n figure OF Christ
on the handle holding in one hand the
sphere and cross, while the other Is
raised in blessing Each Of the twelve
apostles Is distinguished 10y some en-
blem. SC. Paul has n sword. 81. An
drew n cross. ST. Peter. OF course.
key, St Jude club. ST. John a cup
(the cup Of sorrow. and 50 on.
Whole sets OF these spoons are eX-
ceedngly rare. 1t is said that but two
complete sets are in existence at pres