More History of the Spoon

Depiction of “The Great Ivory Spoon of Ancient Egypt,” expressing in its decorative motif, the eternal mystery of Life. Very peculiar it has a shallow circular bowl and very short handle. — Photo of the image from the Reed and Barton book of 1926

THERE is plenty of evidence that the people of very early times concentrated along the borders of the sea and large bodies of water and from there migrated from the mouths of the rivers and streams inland, toward their sources. The shores of these waters provided shells which served as natural spoons with which to eat certain types of food. These were available long before man knew how to fashion metal into weapons or implements.

Stone knives were made at a very early time, but they were fairly clumsy and apparently were used for hunting rather than eating. This was true even long after metal was employed and spoons have been found as relics from the table dating from a long period before knives and forks began to appear.

The earliest reference to the making of a spoon of precious metal is recorded in the Bible, in the 25th Chapter of the Book of Exodus, wherein the Lord commanded Moses to make golden spoons for the Tabernacle. Excavations in Egypt have brought to light early examples of spoons, and history records that the Greeks and Romans used gold and silver spoons, both at the table and in the temple. Specimens are preserved in the European, Egyptian and American museums.—From, “The History of the Spoon, Knife and Fork,” by Reed and Barton, 1926

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