Who invented the spoon. History of spoons. Modeling "Beautiful spoon"
N. KONOPLEVA
To shift the second courses, they use such an original design - tongs from a fork and some kind of spoon-shovel.
Holes are made in a spoon for lump sugar - granulated sugar is poured through them.
To some extent, it looks like a spoon and a spatula for caviar.
Measuring spoon for instant coffee.
Above - a spoon for vegetables, below - for spaghetti.
Spoon options for brewing tea.
Sauce spoon.
Cocktail spoon. Its long hollow handle replaces a drinking straw. The head is designed for catching fruit, it has three holes through which the liquid enters the handle.
Who first invented the spoon - history is silent. It is only certain that it has almost the same venerable age as the most ancient tool of man - a knife. Even in prehistoric times, the shell of large nuts served as a spoon. Later, spoons were made from bone. The ancient Egyptians used bronze spoons, while the Greeks preferred silver ones.
IN Ancient Rus', at a time when people in Europe usually ate with their hands, a wooden spoon was already quite a familiar item, it is mentioned in the chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years" (XII century). And we are talking not only about wooden, but also about silver spoons. Spoons, like knives, were usually carried with you in the old days. They even said: "A thrifty guest does not go without a spoon." Spoons had different names depending on the size, shape, purpose. Let's open the dictionary of V.I. , clean finish". Russian wooden spoons were made from aspen, birch, maple.
The metal spoon as we now know it appeared in Europe around 1760. Since then, the materials and workmanship of these devices have been continuously improved. Spoons were made of tin, gold, silver. Who can afford it. In 1825, the German doctor E. Geithner opened a factory in Saxony and began to produce cutlery from argentan (an alloy of copper with nickel and zinc). It was a beautiful, silver-like material. And relatively cheap. A few years later, throughout Europe, they began to make cutlery from argentan, which was called differently: nickel silver, alphenide, cupronickel ... Today, the name "melchior" has stuck to cutlery made from such material.
There was a period of passion for spoons made of aluminum, then just discovered and therefore expensive metal, remotely similar to silver. Later they became the lot of cheap catering. Now the most popular and practical spoons are made of quality stainless steel, polished, with an elaborate design, sometimes with gold trim on some parts.
In addition to soup, dessert and teaspoons in a good serving, you can find a device for second courses in the form of tongs.
According to Russian tradition, the salad is usually laid out with a large salad spoon. In Europe, it is customary to use two large spoons for this, one of which is ordinary, and the other has several slots for draining excess oil, vinegar, lemon juice.
There are special large spoons for vegetables and sauce (in cases where the sauce is not served in a separate gravy boat, but is a component of the dish, for example, meat juice from a roast). The sauce spoon is much deeper and larger than the usual one. This is so as not to drip on the tablecloth.
When serving borscht or cabbage soup, a medium-sized deep spoon is used - the so-called sour cream. It resembles a small ladle.
Sometimes salad tongs are served - the same spoons, but interconnected by an elastic bridge ... In a word, the science of using spoons is not as simple as the spoon itself.
Despite the fact that the history of the creation of cutlery goes back centuries and it seems that all the subtleties of their use have already been taken into account, inventions in this area continue. For example, in France, a special spoon for the mustachioed is patented with an ingenious device that makes it possible to ensure that "it does not flow down the mustache, but into the mouth."
Photo by V. Pirozhkov. By the way...The ancient Romans had spoons drilled in the center of the scoop. Why was this done? Perhaps something explains the advice from an old magazine on how to avoid stealing silver teaspoons: drill them in the middle. Such a measure at the same time teaches households to order: these spoons are suitable for stirring tea and catching tea leaves, but they will not allow you to get your spoon into the common sugar bowl. Folk signs and proverbs
The spoon is not a cat, it will not scratch your mouth.
I had a spoon in my mouth, but there was nothing to sip.
A spoon forgotten on the table is for the guest.
Knock on the edge of the dishes with a spoon - to a quarrel.
Two teaspoons on one saucer - for the wedding.
Target:
stable cognitive interest of children in the process of discovering new, unusual knowledge about a familiar object - a spoon.
Tasks:
Educational:
- Give an idea of the history and variety of spoons (different in size, shape, material)
- To form a cognitive interest in the hidden properties of a variety of different materials(wood, metal, plastic).
- Concretize knowledge about the properties of various materials (light-heavy, floats-sinks, bends - does not bend, is attracted - is not attracted by a magnet)
Developing:
- Expand the vocabulary of children (, parts of a spoon and material, folk crafts: woodcarving, turning, painting).
- Develop attention, associative thinking, imagination.
Educational:
- Cultivate a love of history, the ability to see the beauty in the world around
Integration of educational areas:health, socialization, communication, artistic creativity, artistic and aesthetic development.
Equipment: stone, shells, a collection of spoons from different materials; presentation for children: "Spoons"; musical records.
Preliminary work:stories about the history of spoons with a selection of illustrations; selection of riddles, poems, proverbs dedicated to spoons; exhibition of spoons used by us in everyday life; art class "Decorating a spoon with Khokhloma painting"
Methods and techniques: verbal, visual, practical.
Materials and equipment:multimedia equipment, stones, shells, a plate of jam, water containers, a collection of spoons: wooden, metal, silver, gilded, plastic, a musical record, a "sun" with ribbons, plastic spoons for each child, cloth, ribbon for independent work.
STUDY PROCEDURE:
Educator: Today I want to treat you with jam. Eat, my dears! (no spoons - creating a problem situation)
Children: How?
Educator: Oh, I completely forgot to prepare the spoons! How can you eat without a spoon?
Children: Finger, tongue, some object! (Discuss with children whether it is correct to use such methods)
The teacher gives the children spoons.
Educator: It turns out that a spoon is a very important item and it is impossible to do without it.
The spoon is a simple worker,
City crane.
Pick up on a spoon
Porridge, soup or potatoes.
Lift more loads
Send them straight to the belly.
Eat everything yourself to the crumbs,
To make the legs run faster
To grow up quickly guys
Like vegetables in a garden.
Educator: What do you think the very first spoon was made of?
See what's in my hand? (stone). Hold him. What is he? The very first spoon was made of stone.
Do you think it was convenient to eat with such a spoon? Why? Yes, she was very heavy, uneven, and while eating she burned her mouth. Look at what the first spoons were, (slide number 1)
Educator: What is it? Shells. In Greece, when there were no spoons, shells were used. (slide number 2,3)
We have water. Let's try to scoop up water with seashells. Water pours, pours out, hands are wet, little water is scooped up. Imagine that you are eating hot soup. Are you comfortable? Why? Edges are sharp and uneven. (Children's answers) What is missing? (Pens)
In ancient Egypt, spoons were carved from Ivory. (slide number 4,5)
In Japan, people used and still use sticks called hashi (slide No. 6,7)
Educator: What do you think, what kind of spoons did they eat before in Rus'? (children's answers). In Rus', the spoon was made quite early. Ordinary Russian people have been eating cabbage soup and porridge with wooden spoons since time immemorial. (slide number 8,9)
The teacher addresses the children:
Children, do you have a birthday? Do you love this holiday? I love birthday too. Because on this day everyone is dressed up and gives gifts to the birthday girl or birthday boy. Guys, I heard that it turns out that birthdays happen not only for people, but also for objects too. Today we will arrange the birthday of the spoon. Guys, I know a place where there are a lot of spoons, I have already been there. This place is a museum of spoons. Would you like to visit with me? (slide number 12)
Let's say magic words(one, two, three - here we are in the museum!) close our eyes and circle around ourselves once.
Children perform and find themselves in a “museum”, where a large number of different spoons lie on the tables.
Educator: Guys, look how many different spoons there are. And they are all different. (Children examine the spoons, touch them with their hands).
Children sit on chairs.
Educator: Look, guys, from what material spoons are not made! And now the most common material from which spoons are used? That's right, the modern spoon is made of metal and is called a metal spoon.
The teacher finds a metal spoon in the "museum", shows it to the children.
Educator: Guys, look, how else do spoons differ from each other? (shape, size, color, material). And what else? Do not know? Let's try to find out if spoons behave the same way in water. Let's take one wooden, plastic and metal spoon and go to the experiment room.
Children pass with spoons to the tables, on which there are basins of water and magnets.
Educator: We will dip three spoons into the water, and what will happen, look carefully.
EXPERIMENT WITH WATER, Spoons are lowered one by one into a basin of water and it is determined that one spoon (from what?) - iron, drowned immediately, the other (from what?) - wooden floats in water, and a plastic spoon rests on the surface of the water .
Educator: Why do you think one spoon sank? (It is heavy - iron). Why are the other two spoons floating on the surface? (They are lightweight - made of plastic and wood). And if the spoons in the water behave differently, are they the same? (Different).
And now we will try to bend the spoons.
EXPERIENCE WITH POWER MOVEMENT. Children begin to bend spoons: plastic ones bend, wooden and iron ones do not bend, but wooden ones can be broken).
Educator: So the spoons also bend in different ways.
And how else can you find out which of the spoons is iron? (If the children cannot say - prompt with a magnet).
EXPERIENCE WITH A MAGNET. All spoons are checked with a magnet.
In Russia, the spoon is also used as a musical instrument. Masters of spoon-makers made and painted spoons with different patterns (slide No. 10), and musicians - spoon-makers (spooners) play (slide No. 11) tapping with spoons and a rhythmic, fervent, dance melody is obtained. And even more so, since today is the birthday of the spoon, you may want to play a small musical number on the spoons.
Educator: What spoons will we play with? (wooden)
1 child: Spoons, spoons
painted spoons
Spoons gilded
Twisted patterns
At least have a sip
At least play some music.
2 child: Our grandfathers in Rus' - you ask anyone -
This spoon was respected and cut out of birch.
Painted spoon - lacquer leg,
Red berry eye, golden curl.
And for porridge and for cabbage soup there is no need for a spoon
And beautiful, and easy - for any eater.
We ate heartily and the spoons are good!
And now let's go dancing and playing on spoons!
Folk music sounds, children play on spoons.
Educator: What a wonderful gift - a concert! Guys, when you have a birthday, you probably wear beautiful dresses, shirts? Maybe we'll dress up a spoon for your birthday?!
On the tables are plastic spoons and attributes for decoration.
Performed finger gymnastics
"Friendship"
Girls and boys are friends in our group
fingers are connected in a "lock"
We will make friends with you little fingers
rhythmic touch of the fingers of the same name of both hands
One two three four five
alternately touching the fingers of the same name, starting with the little fingers
One two three four five.
hands down, shake your hands
Independent work on decorating spoons.
After the children dress up their spoons, they decorate their faces with plasticine: from blue plasticine - eyes, from red - mouths.
Then the children admire their spoons, take them to the museum.
Educator: And now, guys, it's time for us to return to kindergarten. Let's get up, say the magic words and close our eyes: One, two, three, here we are in the group!
Children sit around a round yellow box with ribbons.
Educator: Yes, guys, nothing stands still. Time passes, and thanks to the knowledge and skills of a person, everything around changes. Living conditions change, household appliances change, furniture changes, clothes change. Today, we saw how the spoon appeared and changed - a simple cutlery. We saw how comfortable, durable, beautiful spoons replaced stone spoons.
Please tell us what you liked about our trip. As soon as you say, pull the ribbon towards you.
Children pull the ribbons towards themselves, saying what they liked about the trip. During the course, the teacher asks questions about the topic of the lesson. For example:
What was the first spoon made of?
What object did the Greeks replace spoons with?
What kind of spoons do the Japanese use?
What spoons were used in Rus'?
Which spoons sink in water?
Which spoons float on the surface of water?
Which spoons float on the surface of the water?
Which spoon can be bent?
Which spoon can be broken
Which spoons don't bend?
Are all spoons attracted to a magnet?
Where have we been today?
Teacher: What did we get?
Children: Sunshine!
Educator: Today we have received as much knowledge as the rays of this sun.
The history of cutlery begins with the oldest cutlery, the knife. There is an opinion that it was a bone or stone knife, and not a stick, that became the first tool of a skilled person. For many millennia, the knife was used as a weapon, for hunting and all kinds of work, but already about 5000 years ago, special table knives appeared. Until the Middle Ages, people carried personal utility knives with them, which they used not only at the table, but also at work. In the 15th and 16th centuries, expensive gold knives with expensive wood handles appeared on the tables of noble people. Over time, only the materials changed in the knives, new forms of the blade and handle appeared. Simple bronze s wooden handle and exquisite silver and gold knives with luxurious inlaid handles gave way to universal steel knives with plastic handles. As for the shape of the knife, the first table knives made of copper and bronze differ only slightly in shape from modern ones. Until the 17th century, only knives with sharpened blades existed. The rounded bases of the blades, according to legend, appeared on the orders of Louis XIV to prevent the habit of courtiers picking their teeth and eating from a knife. Despite the fact that the folding knife seems to be a recent invention, it was invented by the Romans in the 1st century for use during military campaigns and travel. The custom that soon appeared of carrying a knife in a sheath prevented further development pocket knives. At the end of the 16th century, the folding knife again became necessary for travelers and soldiers as a weapon, a tool for defense and cutlery.
The second cutlery after the knife was the spoon. It is not known exactly when the first spoons appeared, because they were made from clay, wood chips, nut shells or shells. Until now, in remote parts of the world, people use shells to scoop up liquid food, and in Latin and ancient Greek the word "spoon" is derived from "snail shell". Already starting from the III millennium BC. spoons made of horn, wood and fish bones appeared. Ancient Roman nobility already used golden spoons. In Egypt, spoons for the nobility were made of precious metals, ivory and stone, commoners used wooden spoons, and more often they ate with their hands. In Southeast Asia, beautiful spoons were made from crystals and later from porcelain. In Europe, mainly wooden spoons were made. The Anglo-Saxon word for "spoon" (spoon) has the same root as "splinter". The history of cutlery in Rus' suggests that the spoon came into use by ordinary people much earlier than in Europe. It was customary to carry your own wooden spoon with you until the 19th century. There were many variants of wooden spoons from coarse burlatsky ones to thin and carved pointed ones. The first mention of silver spoons in Rus' dates back to 988, when the warriors of Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko demanded large silver spoons as compensation for the adoption of a new faith.
Although the Romans, who spread cutlery throughout the Roman Empire, preferred oval-shaped spoons with a long handle, spoons with a round notch and a short handle convenient for gripping spread in Europe, and only in the 15-17th centuries did elongated oval-shaped spoons begin to appear again. A significant lengthening of the handle occurred at a time when puffy collars and frills were in vogue. With the advent of wigs and crinolines, the handles of spoons took on an elegant shape and length familiar to us. In the middle of the 19th century, flat-handled spoons appeared because they could be held elegantly with three fingers. At the same time, the custom appeared to place figures of 12 apostles on the handles of expensive spoons. (That's why the sets were formed for 12 people.) For christening, a baby was given a silver spoon with the image of the apostle, in whose honor he is named. Until now, this custom has been preserved in many Christian countries. In Russia, however, it was modified into a gift of a silver spoon in honor of the first tooth.
Cutlery has been a work of art for a very long time, as the history of cutlery tells. "Table silver" was a symbol of aristocracy and distinguished commoners from the nobility not only by the presence of luxury items, but also by the ability to use cutlery and observe etiquette. In an old English magazine, you can find advice: make a hole in a silver teaspoon to teach a child to use it only for stirring sugar and catching tea leaves, but not for drinking tea or pouring sugar. At the end of the 18th century, metal spoons ceased to be a sign of the nobility; in any family there were spoons made of bronze or tin. At the beginning of the 19th century, an alloy of copper with nickel and zinc was invented, which was very similar to silver and was called argentan, alfenide or cupronickel. Cupronickel spoons quickly gained popularity in Europe and Russia. In the middle of the 19th century, there was a period of enthusiasm for aluminum appliances, which are now associated with Soviet catering. At the table of Napoleon III, aluminum spoons were served only to the emperor and the most respected guests, everyone else had to eat with gilded utensils.
The fork is the youngest cutlery. The prototype of the modern fork appeared in ancient Greece. It was a fairly large tool with two sharp teeth for pulling meat out of the fryer and serving complex hot dishes. In addition to two-pronged forks, pikes and skewers were used for serving, on which meat was served. They didn't use forks to eat, but ate with their hands. At Roman feasts, it was customary to wear special gloves or pointed fingertips to keep the hands clean. In the 7th century, small forks with two prongs appeared in Turkey, in the 10th century - in Byzantium, from where they spread throughout Europe. Due to their resemblance to devil horns and the inconvenience to use, forks were almost forgotten during the Middle Ages. And in some countries, forks were even banned by decree of the Pope. In the 14th and 16th centuries, forks were considered a whim of the rich. In France, at that time, they just stopped eating from a knife and used a single-pronged fork (awl) to prick pieces of food. Even in the early 17th century, English gentlemen considered the fork to be superfluous and preferred to use their fingers. According to the etiquette of that time, the meat was elegantly taken with three fingers, after which they were rinsed in a special bowl. Only at the end of the 17th century, when conveniently curved forks with three and four prongs appeared, did they become an essential attribute of high society. It is generally accepted that forks appeared in Russia thanks to Peter I, however, at the court of his father, Alexei Mikhailovich, these devices were already served to honored foreign guests. And the first fork was brought to Russia by Marina Mnishek, the wife of False Dmitry, and this did not at all contribute to her popularity among the people. Russian aristocrats were taught to use a fork just during the reign of Peter I, who carried his cutlery with him, not being sure that he would be served the same at a party. In Russian, until the 18th century, there was not even a word for “fork”, and the device was called a horn or a fork. Russian peasants were wary of forks until the beginning of the 20th century, considering an overseas device uncomfortable and superfluous at a simple peasant table.
Medieval noble travelers carried folding forks and spoons, as cutlery was not given to guests in inns. Travel cutlery compactly fit into a beautiful case and fastened to a belt.
In the middle of the 18th - early 19th century, Europe learned a huge number of new products, recipes for gourmet dishes were developed that required due attention. As a result, many types of specialized knives, spoons and forks appeared, and, accordingly, the rules of etiquette became more complicated. In the 20th century, the reverse movement began: towards the simplification and unification of cutlery. The fork-spoon (spork), invented at the beginning of the 19th century, became widespread. This device has a liquid recess and 2 or 3 teeth. Plastic spoons are commonly served in fast food restaurants. They are great for eating ice cream and desserts. Another version of the fork-spoon: there is a fork at one end of the handle, a spoon at the other. There is even a device that combines a spoon, fork and knife (splayd). Like a simple fork-spoon, it combines a liquid indentation with teeth and, in addition, has a sharp right edge, which makes it unsuitable for left-handers.
It seems natural to us that the main cutlery is a knife, spoon and fork. However, less than half of the world's population use them. The rest prefer to eat with chopsticks, a knife and hands or just hands. From this it follows that chopsticks are the most common cutlery on earth.
It is not known when the first chopsticks appeared, perhaps their prototype was twigs, which were used to put hot stones in pieces of raw food wrapped in leaves or turned food over on fire. Initially, chopsticks were made from split bamboo and resembled tongs. The commanders of the Asian nomadic tribes tied a case with such tongs and a knife to their belt. The Mongolian tribes never switched to using separate sticks. The oldest split sticks found in China are made of bronze and date back to the 12th century BC. In ancient times, chopsticks were used in religious ceremonies and symbolized wealth and high birth. Only in the 8th-9th centuries AD. they have become everyday cutlery. The Chinese name for the sticks is kuaizu (kuàizi), which literally means "quick bamboo". Bamboo is the most suitable material for sticks, since it has no odor and taste of its own, does not conduct heat and is relatively cheap. Sticks were also made from sandalwood, cedar, pine, teak, jade, agate, coral, ivory and precious metals. Interestingly, the ancient name of sticks (zhù) sounded the same as “stop”, so on ships, and later everywhere, it was replaced with a word with the opposite meaning “quickly”.
Not surprisingly, it was chopsticks that became popular in Southeast Asia, and not other devices. After all, in oriental cuisines the reception of short-term frying of products in a rounded wok prevails, which is explained by the lack of fuel for long-term processing. To fry meat and vegetables in a few minutes, they should be finely chopped. In addition, Japanese rice, common in this region, is very sticky, it is convenient to eat it with chopsticks.
Over the many centuries of the existence of sticks, several varieties of them have appeared. Long metal or bamboo sticks (up to 40 cm) are used for cooking, short ones (20-25 cm) are used for eating. Sticks ending in a blunt end are intended for rice and vegetables, as they have an additional surface; Pointed chopsticks are convenient for eating meat and removing bones from fish. Raw wood or bamboo sticks have antibacterial properties and hold food pieces better, as they have a rough texture; it is more difficult to eat with metal, porcelain and lacquered sticks made of precious wood or ivory. These sticks are real works of art that require experience in handling. In China, sticks made of raw wood or bamboo with blunt ends are common; in Japan it is customary to eat with fish-friendly lacquered pointed hashi sticks, with sticks for men, women and children varying in size, and children's sticks are also brightly colored. In Japan, chopsticks are placed on stands with their sharp ends up. Tibetan and Taiwanese sticks are shaped like unsharpened pencils. In Korea, they make flat stainless steel sticks and additionally use a deep spoon for noodles. Traditionally, Korean chopsticks were made of silver and used only by the aristocracy. Asian restaurants usually serve disposable chopsticks held together with a bridge, which should be separated before use.
According to etiquette, chopsticks should not make sounds to attract attention. They can not pierce food, with the exception of whole vegetables, which are difficult to capture. Chopsticks should not be left vertically inserted into a bowl of rice, as this is reminiscent of the incense burned at a funeral. For the same reason, chopsticks should not be placed to the left of the plate, because this is how a memorial dish is served. Even left-handers are supposed to hold chopsticks in their right hand. During dinner, it is impolite to place chopsticks in such a way that they point at a neighbor. In China and Vietnam, it is acceptable to hold a bowl to the mouth and use chopsticks not to grab the rice, but simply to push it into the mouth, but in Korea, this behavior is considered uncivilized. In Japan, it is not allowed to transfer anything from one chopstick to another. To shift food from a common plate, a special pair of chopsticks is used. In extreme cases, you can use the reverse side of individual sticks. After the meal is finished, you should put the chopsticks in front of the plate with the ends to the left. Chinese and Japanese children start eating with chopsticks at around one year of age. It is believed that this develops fine motor skills and affects the ability of the child.
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“The road is a spoon for dinner,” says a Russian proverb. And it is not in vain that this proverb mentions exactly the spoon, because the spoon is the most practical item of all cutlery. Despite the fact that the spoon is designed to carry liquid or semi-liquid food, it can be used as a fork, as a knife, and as a ladle. Some spoons are successfully used for decorating the room. Painted wooden spoons are especially well used for this, they are not only very beautiful, but also functional.
How can we now do without such a necessary and practical item as a spoon? But how many of you thought about when this device appeared?
People understood the need for a spoon a very long time ago, which is why they began to use it as a cutlery already in ancient times. The first spoons were not made of stone, as might be expected, but of baked clay, since they did not need strength, because then soft food was eaten with spoons. She represented a hemisphere with a handle. In the future, people began to use various materials to make spoons. In ancient Europe, they were made mainly of wood. In Egypt, spoons were made from ivory, stone and wood. The most common in Scandinavia and Rus' is wood.
In Europe, the spoon appeared in the Middle Ages. Then the spoons were mostly wooden and horn. In the 15th century, spoons made of brass and copper became popular. Aristocrats and kings used spoons made of silver and gold. The earliest mention of such spoons dates back to 1259. The personal belongings of the English King Edward I in 1300 included gold and silver spoons marked fleur-de-lis (the name of the Parisian workshop). During the Renaissance in Europe, the so-called apostolic spoons with the image of Christ and his disciples were distributed, which were often given as gifts for Christian holidays. The disciples of Christ were depicted on the apostolic spoons.
During the Baroque period, the spoon turned into a work of art. Exquisite style in architecture, design, furniture, dress, and manners did not allow spoons to remain with wide handles. It was required to hold them with the whole palm, which, taking into account the presence of wide cuffs, frills, long collars and generally sophisticated appearance owner, became completely uncomfortable. Therefore, in the first half of the 17th century, the handle of the spoon lengthened several times. In general, fashion has changed the shape of the spoon more than once. For example, the etiquette rule of holding a spoon with three fingers has led to wider and flatter handles.
A common feature of all baroque spoons (as well as everything that surrounded the aristocracy at that time) is the extraordinary splendor of decorations and the variety of handle shapes (there were spoons in the form of a lotus, and shells, and violins, etc.). Lush Baroque decor did not bypass even a spoon. It was decorated with complex emblems, floral and fruit ornaments, allegorical figures, etc.
The opening of coffee and tea houses in the 18th century led to the emergence of new utensils needed for tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. The culture of tea drinking laid the foundation for the production of coffee and tea spoons and the emergence of new rules of etiquette. So, while stirring the sugar, the spoon had to be easily held with two fingers. A spoon placed across the cup by the guest meant that he no longer needed to add tea.
Rococo, an elegant style whose motto was "life is a theater screen", opened a new page in the history of cutlery. The decor of the spoon now included the main symbol of the era - a small, elegantly airy shell (it was from the word "shell" that the name of the style came from). Eating turns into a theatrical performance, which means that they should have become a worthy decoration for it. There are fragile, intricately curved teaspoons, and miniature sugar spoons, decorated with mother-of-pearl.
Rococo was replaced by strict clear forms of the new Renaissance - classicism straightened curved lines and deprived the spoon of excess decorations from the Baroque and Rococo times. Vignettes, playful shells and pot-bellied angels gave way to straight crossed swords and heraldic motifs (lions, griffins, banners).
A little later, when, tired of the clarity of classicism, Europe turned to its medieval roots, and neo-Gothic came into fashion, magnificent examples of spoons appeared that imitated their predecessors of the late Middle Ages. Moreover, the stylization reached such a high level that copies could hardly be distinguished from the originals.
In the same 19th century, the demand for souvenir spoons grew. The first of them appeared around the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th centuries. Friesland, a historical region in the north of the Netherlands and one of the centers of the Northern Renaissance, is considered their homeland. Here, for the first time, spoons began to be decorated with images of real local landscapes. In the new, 19th century, such spoons spread throughout all the shops of Europe. It was at this time that Europeans, who traveled for educational purposes during the Middle Ages, began to turn into tourists.
Around 1900, a huge number of similar products were produced in Europe and North America with engravings of historical and landscape sights, views of cities and emblems of states. Portraits of famous people became a favorite decoration.
When did the spoon reach Mother Rus'?
During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, the boyars had pewter tableware. Of course, everyone knew about the existence of cutlery, but this paraphernalia was perceived exclusively as a luxury, so spoons, forks and knives were served only to the most respected guests. Even Ivan the Terrible at his table had neither a personal plate nor a spoon, but "used them from the boyar who was sitting next to him." Therefore, a chic feast with "overseas caviar" and a table full of dishes in the film "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession" is an invention of the director that does not correspond to the spirit of the times.
Under Peter I, almost all the nobles had silver dishes. The courtiers of Catherine I often have gold. At one of the holidays of Count Sheremetyev in Kuskovo, a table was served for 60 people exclusively with gold utensils. In the middle of the table stood a cornucopia of pure gold, adorned with the empress's monogram of large diamonds.
The shape of the spoon was constantly changing, until in 1760 it became oval and easy to use. Now they make a huge variety of spoons - different colors, sizes, shapes, from various materials. But it is worth paying special attention to a wooden decorative spoon with a painting that appeared in the 17th century and was named after the place where this type of art appeared - Khokhloma. Red juicy rowan and strawberry berries, flowers and branches, birds, fish and animals… Traditional colors: black (sometimes green) and red on a golden background. Of course, Khokhloma painting was done not only on spoons, but also on other dishes, which became a symbol of Russia, like the nesting doll. Such spoons were often used as musical instruments.
The explanatory dictionary of the living Great Russian language by Vladimir Dahl says that “there is a spoon: mezheumok, simple Russian, wide; butyrka, burlatskaya, the same, but thicker and rougher; barefoot, longish, blunt-nosed; semi-flat, rounder than that; nosy, sharp-nosed; fine, generally fine, clean finish. White, i.e. unpainted, first-hand goes 9-18 rubles. one thousand banknotes, aspen and birch; maple dyed up to 75 rubles. thousand notes. Spoons, songwriters, buffoons have castanets, a pair of wooden spoons, or circles worn on fingers, studded with rattles.
They also guessed on spoons. For example, spoons were placed in a tub of water according to the number of relatives, noticing which was whose. Then the water was shaken. In the morning they looked: if all the spoons are in a pile, then within a year everyone will remain in the family; if someone is behind, it means that this particular family member will leave her this year (get married, marry, move or die, etc.). As a ritual object, Russian peasants used a spoon during Christmas fortune-telling - they froze water in a spoon for the New Year: bubbles - for a long life; a hole from above - to death.
Wooden spoons - Knock a little.
Do you want to play waltz
And if you want - soup sip!
So in Rus' there was a custom: during the birth of his wife, a man was given a tablespoon and forced to eat a mixture of mustard, pepper, horseradish, salt, vinegar and sugar, so that he would feel what his wife had to do. Oh, and it was probably hard to eat such a gruel.
Spoon signs are no less interesting.
If you drop a spoon, a woman will come; if a knife, a man.
Two spoons in one gravy boat - for the wedding.
Forget the spoon on the table after dinner - to the guest.
Spill the sauce from a sauce spoon - invite a family quarrel.
You can’t knock with spoons - from this “the evil one rejoices” and the “sinisters” come together for dinner.
You can’t leave the spoon so that it rests with its handle on the table, and with the other end on the bowl: along the spoon, like a bridge, evil spirits can penetrate into the bowl.
Scottish nannies always noticed with which hand the child took up the spoon for the first time. It was believed that if he did this with his left hand, he would deprive himself of good luck for the rest of his life. This superstition was recorded by Master Wilkie: “The spoon played a prominent role in the rituals of the Eastern Slavs, personifying a specific family member - living or dead ... Spoons were marked, they avoided using strangers, and the man’s spoon was sometimes opposed to the rest in size and shape; it was readily used in folk medicine, believing that with the help of a spoon of a deceased owner, you can get rid of a birthmark, wart, abscess, swelling in the throat, etc.” In the context of the notion that a spoon metaphorically “replaces” its owner, the meaning of the English belief about two spoons in a gravy boat becomes clear - they personify a young couple.
During courtship, if one of the suitors manages to take a spoon from the bride’s house, then the son will be the master in the house and his wife will never leave. Three months after their wedding, the spoon should be thrown into the house of the bride.
As a charm, a spoon was used during the baptism of a child, in cases where the godmother was pregnant. This tradition is still alive - during baptism, the baby is given a silver spoon, completely forgetting about such an attribute as pregnancy.
Well, how not to remember the game on spoons! Since ancient times, the Eastern Slavs have used percussion instruments in military affairs, hunting and rituals. The use of instruments is akin to clapping hands, trampling. The use of spoons as a musical instrument is not unique. It is known that at feasts, in the heat of dancing excitement, not only spoons were used, but also frying pans, samovar pipes, everything that could make a sound. The time of appearance in Rus' of spoons as a musical instrument has not been established. The first information about them appears at the end of the 18th century, some researchers believe that the spoons arose among the Russians in imitation of the Spanish castanets.
And finally, a few proverbs about spoons.
Red spoon with stew, not dry. (Russian)
If the world were pilaf, and I would be a spoon! (Dargin)
You can't put two spoons in one mouth. (Chinese)
Road spoon to dinner. (Russian)
Porridge is small, but the spoon is large. (Malay)
Cats on spoons, dogs on crumbs, us on cakes. (Russian)
A fly in the ointment. (Russian)
Don't put your spoon where your bowl isn't. (Abkhazian)
An empty spoon scratches your lips. (Ossetian)
Nothing to sip, so let me at least lick a spoon. (Russian)
The state of the boiler is best known by a pouring spoon. (lak)
What you put in the cauldron will go into the spoon. (Kazakh)
The spoon is red by the eater, the horse by the rider. (Russian)
What you crumble into your bowl, you will find in your spoon (Armenian)
You can’t reach out your hands for a spoon, so you won’t come by yourself. (Russian)
Do you know that:
It was customary in Cambridge to give a wooden spoon to the student who scored the lowest on a mathematics exam. The tradition existed until 1909 (the photo shows this very last spoon, which is now stored in one of the university's museums).
In Russia, too, they are not far behind America and also use a spoon to pass the exam. Students of Kazan University in the century before last put teaspoons under the bookcase as a guarantee of a successful outcome of the exam. Did it help? Probably yes, if there was such a custom.
When Salvador Dali went to bed, he picked up a spoon, fell asleep, and when the spoon fell, he woke up and sketched everything he saw in a dream. I must say, his dreams were very extraordinary.
Spoon and coat of arms? It was like that. The Turkish Sultan Urhan, having created an army of Janissaries, approved a spoon as his coat of arms, which was supposed to remind the soldiers that they were obliged to fight for the Sultan's reward.
The French came up with a wonderful solution, and it is for those who do not know the limits in food. According to the French, there is no way to lose weight without a spoon. But you need to use a somewhat unusual spoon: quite recently in Paris, cutlery sets were sold from a fork with broken teeth, a completely blunt knife and a holey spoon.
Throughout its development, the spoon has constantly undergone sometimes drastic changes, depending both on changes in the fashion for clothes and on a change in lifestyle in general. But be that as it may, the spoon remains, to this day, an indispensable item in Everyday life person.
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In European culture, no one can do without a spoon. It is made from different materials. The size and shape of the cutlery depends on its purpose: coffee, tea, dessert. We immediately understand what we will eat this or that dish, and we don’t even think about who invented this item and when it acquired its usual appearance.
History and evolution of the spoon
The spoon is such an ancient invention that it is impossible to establish the time period of its existence. Researchers give different dates for her birth, the estimated age ranges from three to seven thousand years. Even the origin of the name of this word is not known. Linguists see the common Slavic root in the words "lick" or "crawl", as well as "log", which means "deepening". Perhaps the origin of the Greek - "swallow".
One thing is known for sure, that the spoon appeared much earlier than the fork. She can eat both solid and liquid food, and with a fork - only solid.
Ancient world
The similarity of spoons was used by primitive people, they were sea shells, halves of a nut shell or bent dense leaves of plants. Until now, some tribes in Africa and South America use convenient clam shells instead. The first spoons made by people looked like small earthenware ladles with short handles. Later, wood, animal bones and horns were used to create this item, and even later, metal.
Excavations have confirmed that Ancient Egypt used cutlery as early as the fifth century BC - similar stone products were found. The ancient Greeks made spoons from mother-of-pearl shells. Archaeologists have found similarities of cutlery from animal horns and fish bones dating back to the third millennium BC. During the heyday of the Roman-Greek civilization, bronze and silver appliances used for eating food appeared.
Middle Ages
In Rus', spoons began to be used several centuries earlier than in other European countries. The annals mention the order of Prince Vladimir (X century) to craftsmen to make silver spoons for his entire squad. By this time in Rus', wooden spoons were already used everywhere. In some families, craftsmen made their own devices for eating food. But in most cases, they used the products of craftsmen-spooners. The following materials were used: aspen, maple, birch, linden, plum, apple tree. They were simple and practical products. They became carved and painted much later.
In addition to Italy and Greece, familiar with cutlery from ancient times, in the XIII century silver spoons appeared among the peoples of Europe. The disciples of Jesus Christ were depicted on the handles, so the cutlery began to be called “apostolic spoons”.
Renaissance
In the 15th century, in addition to bronze and silver, they began to make cutlery from copper and brass. Metal was still considered the privilege of rich people, the poor used wooden products.
Age of Enlightenment
Peter the Great went to visit with his cutlery. Following his example, a custom was established in Rus': when going to visit, take a spoon with you. In the XVIII century, when aluminum was discovered, the first cutlery made of this metal was served only to distinguished guests, the rest were eaten with the help of silver utensils. In the same century, round spoons acquired the familiar and convenient oval shape. In addition, the entrenched fashion to drink tea has led to the production of cutlery. different sizes. By this time, the appearance of teaspoons, and a little more - and coffee ones.
The fashion for long sleeves also played a role in the transformation of the cutlery - a need for a longer handle arose, which made this item look like a modern one.
19th century
The German E. Geithner was the first in Europe (1825) to produce cutlery from an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel, he called it Argentan. The alloy was cheaper than silver, so many European manufacturers began to use it for their products. Today, such spoons are called cupronickel, and they still have not lost their popularity.
XX, XXI century
The discovery of stainless steel at the beginning of the last century was a turning point in the history of cutlery. Now this metal has formed the basis of 80% of all spoons on the planet. Chromium, which is part of the product, protects it from corrosion.
Today, spoons are made from various metals and alloys, but silverware is still held in high esteem.
Spoons seem to be ordinary, familiar kitchen utensils. But, having passed a long historical path, they became participants in many interesting stories. For example, not everyone knows where the expression “beat the thumbs” came from, although everyone knows that they say this about lazy people. In the case of spoons, there is a simple task - to break the log into pieces (baklush), which become blanks for future products. In the production of spoons, breaking the buckets was considered an easy task and was entrusted to the most inept apprentices.
In the old days, everyone had their own spoon. When the first teeth appeared at the newborn and he began to receive food other than mother's milk, he was given a small spoon. It was believed: if it is made of silver or gold, the baby in the future will not need anything. Modern people often turn to the custom, giving the baby a silver spoon “by the tooth”.
People also believed in other signs associated with cutlery:
- accidentally putting two spoons in one cup, you can expect a wedding;
- a spoon fell from the table - wait for a woman to visit, a knife was dropped - a man will come;
- extra cutlery was on the table during a family dinner - there will be a guest;
- you can’t knock on the table with a spoon - trouble will come;
- those who lick the spoon after eating will have a happy marriage.
The cutlery played its role in the student life of the past. In the 19th century, young people studying at Kazan University put teaspoons under the cupboard before each exam in order to successfully pass the tests. It is difficult to say what meaning was put into this sign, but the students believed that it worked. At the University of Cambridge, the spoon was used for a different occasion: a grandiose cutlery almost the size of a human being was cut out of wood and given to the most backward student as a token of consolation.
The famous master of surrealism Salvador Dali used a spoon as an alarm clock. He gave great importance daytime nap, but didn't want to spend too much time on it. Falling asleep in his favorite armchair, the artist held a table item in his hands. When he fell, Dali woke up from the sound. This time was enough for him to restore his strength to continue his work.
Such a small object as a spoon has a long history and is an indispensable attribute of our life.
In the next video you will find the history of the spoon in pictures.
