Show SPOONS the date of origin unknown aney are so very ancient if you desire to know about the scarcity of really reliable data on the history of spoons take down your handbooks and encyclopedias and see if it take you a long while to learn anything concerning their origin nativity etc in fact the antiquarians do not pretend to give us anything of value in that line it is admitted that they are very ancient but just exactly how old they aro and by whom and where they were first used are points upon which wo aro left completely in the dark creighton says spoons must have been a very ancient invention for a saxon spoon of perforated silver gilt ornamented with gems was found in a grave at sarre thanet when forks were unknown spoons played a very important part at tho table spoons of the thirteenth century and oven later had handles terminating in a knob knot acom or other odd and cumbersome devices about the period of the restoration of which y much is said in english history a arca change was made in the forms of spoons in some of the unique patterns the spoon part was divided into two three and even four parts and the handle always split or twisted and turned up instead of down and back spoons of that period were all blunt instead of being pointed as in the forms generally seen ab present they continued short and blunt down to the time of george I 1 when they were first made pointed and had tho handles turned down instead of up about the year 1500 what were known as apostle spoons were introduced they were so called because they had the figures of tho 12 apostles carved upon their handles they were generally given by sponsors to children at their time of baptism the wealthy presented the entire 12 those who could not afford to indulge in such extravagance giving one or more according aa they felt able the most curious and remarkable spoon in the world perhaps is a coronation spoon pr preserved served among the other royal relics in the tower of london the bowl is of gold and the han adlo of silver the handle is split down tho middle and set with all kinds of precious stones the relic is valued at about or upward of st louis republic |