Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Spiffy Spooners


The spooner is an antique I learned about quite by accident. There was an estate sale that had advertised some glassware and china, and I came across an unusual glass piece with bleeding hearts on it. I was really fascinated with gardening that summer and was positively infatuated with bleeding hearts. In fact, I had some not-growing on my porch, along with a few other plants I was busy not-growing. (I said I was fascinated with gardening. I didn't say I was any good at it.) At any rate, the piece on the left is the bleeding heart spooner I bought that day, and the spooner at right is a reproduction piece I bought new.


After buying the bleeding heart spooner, I was eager to find out exactly what this was. The scalloped top made it unusable as a drinking glass, and it wasn't large enough to serve as a vase. Eventually I found one just like it at an antiques store online, and I learned this was called a spooner. Apparently, this was a circa 1860 or so piece that once held spoons on the table, a piece used at a time when the Victorian hostess didn't always have a spoon at every place setting. But since I'm OK on the spoon front, I use mine to hold teaspoons and other tea accoutrements.

The newer spooner holds my spoon-style tea infusers. And the rose doily they're sitting on, like the pink doily yesterday, is one I made a few years ago. I found a vintage pattern for the rose doilies and began cranking them out. Maybe I'll make one for a giveaway sometime!

9 comments:

  1. I didn't know about antique spooners. They are lovely. I especially like the bleeding heart design. We had these plants growing in our backyard in Toronto when I was a little girl.

    Your handmade doilies are also pretty.

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  2. Hi Angela,
    I too have seen those glasses before and wondered "How in the world could you drink from them?" Isn't that funny. I will be on the lookout for them from now on- since knowing what they are!!!! Thanks for all your clever information- as always!!
    Your doilie is really nice too.

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  3. Wow, thanks for the information. I never knew about spooners, but I sure want one now! :) What a great idea. Thanks, Angela!

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  4. I have never heard of these before. I often serve a buffet and would love to have something pretty like this to hold my spoons and forks. This would be perfect. Spooners. I will look for them in antiques stores, flea markets and yard sales. I will bet most people think they are just ordinary vases.

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  5. Love your spooners and the doily you made.

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  6. Interesting!!! I am glad to learn about spooners. I could definitely use one from time to time when entertaining. You always find such interesting information! Thanks!

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  7. Angela, I was catching up on your blog and I noticed this entry on spooners. Is that a "new" name for these items? I thought they were celery servers or glasses---what is the difference, do you know? I bought a celery server at a local Estate sale--it is similar to yours but taller and unadorned. Thanks for the info--Katherine

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  8. Katherine, from what (little) I've read, the celery server is a taller piece than the spooner, which makes sense considering celery stalks are so much taller than spoons.

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  9. There I was, in line at the fruit counter, wondering what in the world this lady was going to do with all the odd glasses she held. Being a good "Quester", of course I had to ask. Then I had to ask: What's a spooner"? Ladies, check out www.questers1944.org and discover like-minded curious people with a great love of learning. And yes, this nice lady has agrred to show our chapter her wonderful collection of spponers!

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