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Pair of sherbet spoons

Title	Pair of sherbet spoons
Author	Unknown
Publication Date:	1850
Publication Place	Iran (made) -
Subject	Woodwork
Type	Other
Language	Undetermined
Digital	Yes
Manuscript	No
Physical Dimensions	Length: 28.5 cm (Note: Spoon 931), Length: 27.1cm (Note: Spoon 931A)
Library:	Victoria and Albert Museum
Library Asset ID	931-1869
Record ID	931-1869
Library Location	Middle East Section
Date	1850
Notes	Large carved wooden spoons such as this â each with a boat-shaped bowl, long rhomboidal handle, curved âbuttressâ and a rosette at the join â were made from up to seven separate parts, each finely carved from lime wood and adhered together with glue. The bowl was carved into a ribbed pattern and further ornamented with either Persian inscriptions along the outer edges â each alluding to desire, taste, or love - or with a single band of vegetal scrolls. The rosette, buttress and handle were all carved with a fine openwork pattern of geometric motifs arranged in registers around a central panel of floral sprays. The finesse in which this spoon was carved suggests its use for dignitary or elite members of society during banquets or special ceremonies. Indeed, Iranian paintings from the early to mid-nineteenth century show such spoons placed delicately along the edges of large porcelain bowls, floating upon the surface, the contents of which contained sherbet. These spoons were used communally amongst guests, often with several guests drinking from the same spoon. Major R. Murdoch Smith discusses the Iranian town of Abadeh (between Isfahan and Shiraz) as being the main centre of Persian wood carving during the period of 1800-1900. This town was famous for its elaborately carved spoons (qashuq) and small boxes, all made of either pear or lime wood, and carved with a common pocket-knife. This spoon was purchased at the Paris Exhibition of 1867 for 8 shillings each. Reporting on the Museumâs Iranian holdings to date in May 1873, Robert Murdoch Smith assessed a set of wooden spoons a follows: âAll these spoons are made of the wood of the pear tree at the small town of Abadeh (not Shiraz). They are usually made in three sizes, the largest for taking sherbet, the medium size for soup, pilau etc. and the smallest for pickles. These are fair specimens of this kind of work.â (V&A Archives).
İlişki	Unknown Iran
Malzemeler ve teknikler	Carved wood (lime or pear)
Parçalar	Sherbet Spoon, Sherbet Spoon
Fiziksel açıklama	Carved wooden spoon with a large boat-shaped bowl, long rhomboidal handle, and rosette at the join. Elaborately carved in openwork with floral sprays set within an eight pointed star and rectangular panels.
Üslup	Qajar

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Victoria and Albert Museum

Pair of sherbet spoons

Author Unknown

Publication Date 1850

Publication Place Iran (made) -

Subject Woodwork

Type Other

Language Undetermined

Digital Yes

Manuscript No

Physical Dimensions Length: 28.5 cm (Note: Spoon 931), Length: 27.1cm (Note: Spoon 931A)

Library Victoria and Albert Museum

Library Asset ID 931-1869

Record ID 931-1869

Library Location Middle East Section

Date 1850

Notes Large carved wooden spoons such as this â each with a boat-shaped bowl, long rhomboidal handle, curved âbuttressâ and a rosette at the join â were made from up to seven separate parts, each finely carved from lime wood and adhered together with glue. The bowl was carved into a ribbed pattern and further ornamented with either Persian inscriptions along the outer edges â each alluding to desire, taste, or love - or with a single band of vegetal scrolls. The rosette, buttress and handle were all carved with a fine openwork pattern of geometric motifs arranged in registers around a central panel of floral sprays. The finesse in which this spoon was carved suggests its use for dignitary or elite members of society during banquets or special ceremonies. Indeed, Iranian paintings from the early to mid-nineteenth century show such spoons placed delicately along the edges of large porcelain bowls, floating upon the surface, the contents of which contained sherbet. These spoons were used communally amongst guests, often with several guests drinking from the same spoon. Major R. Murdoch Smith discusses the Iranian town of Abadeh (between Isfahan and Shiraz) as being the main centre of Persian wood carving during the period of 1800-1900. This town was famous for its elaborately carved spoons (qashuq) and small boxes, all made of either pear or lime wood, and carved with a common pocket-knife. This spoon was purchased at the Paris Exhibition of 1867 for 8 shillings each. Reporting on the Museumâs Iranian holdings to date in May 1873, Robert Murdoch Smith assessed a set of wooden spoons a follows: âAll these spoons are made of the wood of the pear tree at the small town of Abadeh (not Shiraz). They are usually made in three sizes, the largest for taking sherbet, the medium size for soup, pilau etc. and the smallest for pickles. These are fair specimens of this kind of work.â (V&A Archives).

İlişki Unknown Iran

Malzemeler ve teknikler Carved wood (lime or pear)

Parçalar Sherbet Spoon, Sherbet Spoon

Fiziksel açıklama Carved wooden spoon with a large boat-shaped bowl, long rhomboidal handle, and rosette at the join. Elaborately carved in openwork with floral sprays set within an eight pointed star and rectangular panels.

Üslup Qajar