Carved spoon
Artist: Unknown
On display
This small spoon has a handle which was carved in the shape of a miniature longcase clock. It has small areas of polychrome decoration which simulate the inlay you would expect to find on a full-size longcase clock. There are various historical references to small carved objects such as spoons being given as romantic gifts, and these often had symbols which were meaningful to the couple incorporated into the design. In Treen and Other Wooden Bygones, E.H. Pinto describes a Victorian practice of couples being given a small wooden pair of shoes connected by a chain: “It was formerly a charming marriage custom to carve and give them to the bride and groom, with a knob of coal in one … and sugar in the other, to ensure that the couple never lacked warmth and sweetness or sustenance.”
Details
- Artist
- Unknown
- Title
- Carved spoon
- Date
- About 1800
- Medium
- Beech
- Reference
- CVCSC:0418.F
- Collection
- Folk Art