Giant Danish Spoon...What was it used for?
Giant Danish Spoon...What was it used for?
I picked this spoon up a few years ago in Canada. One of the biggest silver spoons I've ever seen. Not sure what it would be used for, baptism? It measures 15 inches long, the bowl is 5" by 3.5" and holds a half a cup of fluid.
Re: Giant Danish Spoon...What was it used for?
Hello, spoons that large were used for dumplings ("Kloßlöffel"). Best wishes, Bahner
Re: Giant Danish Spoon...What was it used for?
I can add a Little more information. It is a grødske and its a Danish, norwegian or norh german spoon. These spoons where used in those countries. They where never used in Sweden. So they are a very local tradition. I have a Norwegian made approx 1820. I would say that these proberly excist from the last quarter of 1700. They where also made in early 1900 and the disappered out of the household. When I was a child in the 1960ties I remember that we used one when we had Soup. But other shapes entered te marked.
Often they are very worn on the tip of the bowl - usually on the left side. You used these grødskeer for serving the food When you took the food the spoons bowl screached the button of the pot. And most people are right handed therefor the laf/bowl is worn on the left side.
15 inch should be 38cm - I have one of 39,5cm.
Often they are very worn on the tip of the bowl - usually on the left side. You used these grødskeer for serving the food When you took the food the spoons bowl screached the button of the pot. And most people are right handed therefor the laf/bowl is worn on the left side.
15 inch should be 38cm - I have one of 39,5cm.
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Francais
Re: Giant Danish Spoon...What was it used for?
I have an 18th c. Augsburg spoon that is around 38 cm, but I have an 18th c. French spoon that is 41.4 cm. What do I win?
Just kidding but one point I would like to make is that we really can't say what these large spoons were used for by their first owner.
in English we usually call them stuffing spoons, in French a ragout spoons. But I think both are a mistake. It should just be called a large spoon by museums. Of course if you are selling something at auction you have to use the popular name, but otherwise a spoon with the weight and size is a better choice.
As an example one friend described a goblet, that was later used to hold spoons in the center of a table, as a "spooner". My question was obvious, why would anyone call a goblet a spooner, the answer was simple, the woman who loaned it was insistent.
Maurice
Just kidding but one point I would like to make is that we really can't say what these large spoons were used for by their first owner.
in English we usually call them stuffing spoons, in French a ragout spoons. But I think both are a mistake. It should just be called a large spoon by museums. Of course if you are selling something at auction you have to use the popular name, but otherwise a spoon with the weight and size is a better choice.
As an example one friend described a goblet, that was later used to hold spoons in the center of a table, as a "spooner". My question was obvious, why would anyone call a goblet a spooner, the answer was simple, the woman who loaned it was insistent.
Maurice
Re: Giant Danish Spoon...What was it used for?
Grødske is the correct name.
grød = porridge
Ske = spoon
And that goes generations back in Denmark.
grød = porridge
Ske = spoon
And that goes generations back in Denmark.
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Francais
Re: Giant Danish Spoon...What was it used for?
I don't speak Norwegian or Danish, so I would never argue the popular name for anything in either language. Having said that Michael Clayton, in his book on British and North American silver, says these large spoons date back to at least the 17th century. He calls them Basting or Hash spoons, but in his one paragraph write up he says others over time have called them "porridge ladle"and "ragow spoon". I can add that today in America they are called "stuffing spoons", but I have also heard the term "platter spoon". In an 1824 I have an estate inventory that calls them "large dish spoons". All of these popular names try to describe what they are used for, and therefore,in my opinion, are all "wrong". Unless you are saying that in Norway or Denmark they are only used for porridge and not for serving hash, gravy, or whatever else, then your description is inaccurate. The problem is compounded after about 1715 when these spoons took the same form as tablespoons and teaspoons, but were just larger. So let's say a tablespoon is usually 22-23 cm long, and in America a stuffing spoon is usually about 30-31 cm, at what point does a spoon become a stuffing spoon? On websites people often call 22 cm spoons "stuffing spoons", presumably so people will pay more. So at what point does one call a spoon that is 26 cm long? I guess the person who owns the spoon can call it whatever he likes. If someone has a very bad habit, a 30 cm. spoon could be called a cocaine spoon. (This is a joke, but I have seen salt spoons sold as drug paraphernalia.) But if you get my point, wouldn't it be much better to call your spoon a large 39.5 cm spoon, and point out that it can be used for any number of things in both the kitchen or the serving table, but is popularly called today a Grødske ?
Maurice
Maurice
Re: Giant Danish Spoon...What was it used for?
Thanks for input on this spoon. The spoon in general would be inconvenient for typicay serving use because you need such a large bowl or pot to contain the spoon. It just dwarfs a standard 12 in bowl and will fall right out. I also see vast differences between this spoon and large American/English/Irish stuffing spoons). The shape of the bowl for one is probably at least twice as wide as a typical 11 1/2" stuffing spoon. When I put it next to my American and English serving pieces it makes them look like tiny. It would appear the the spoon would have limited and very specific uses due to is size and practicality.
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Francais
Re: Giant Danish Spoon...What was it used for?
This type of spoon was used in the kitchen to baste items on the fire or in an oven, the reason they were so long was to get farther away from the heat source. Any fireplace would demand a nice long handle, and rich peoples ovens, were quite large in either the 18th or 19th c. but I imagine most were not silver. As far as serving, if you check any museum's collection of 18th or 19th c china or silver your will see platters that would even swallow the two spoons I have. I have several such platters, although we rarely use them and one was made into a table. The same is true of ladles, most modern large ladles are at best 12-13 inches, but I have 18th century ladles which are in the 16+ inch range. Let's face it, rich people served large parties and had large serving dishes, and consequently large serving pieces. If these large spoons had some specific purpose, it would have to be something served in all the countries mentioned and I would say a lot more. I would be surprised if I couldn't find some large examples in almost any country. I think the truth is that they are only rare today, because people couldn't find a good use for them, and sold them for the metal.
Maurice
Maurice
Re: Giant Danish Spoon...What was it used for?
I dont disagree whith the fact that you can use them for anything, and they have can be called different names. And most likely other names in various countries. The Danish term grødske Norwegian also.
The most common menu was grød. Grød was eaten every day and often as the only dish. Meet was uncommon and rare. So grød was the every day menu. And thats why they got the name grødske.
Even poor households would be of 10 to 15 persons or more. The farmer his wife their children. The girl helping in the kitchen, two or three men working at the farm a girl looking after the geese. The Grand parents - so a small farm was Labour intensive up until late 19th Century. The Carpenter, silversmith, coppersmith, hat-maker, tailor all would have a household of several people. Therefor big pots for making the menu.
I am not fully avare of what porrige mens. But I assume its = grød.
These grødskeer are vey common. We had one i my home when I was a child. And used it for soup. Though it was not the most effective spoon. I have one from the home of my wife and they are always for sale at several different boots at antique fairs. The majority are plated and not solid silver. I assume that they became common in the 19th Century. After silverplate. Before often made by other materials - like any other spoon. Guess mostly Wood.
As I wrote often worn on the left side of the spoon. due to the fact that the grød would be "difficuld" to get out of the pot. Up the sides and around the buttom.
The most common menu was grød. Grød was eaten every day and often as the only dish. Meet was uncommon and rare. So grød was the every day menu. And thats why they got the name grødske.
Even poor households would be of 10 to 15 persons or more. The farmer his wife their children. The girl helping in the kitchen, two or three men working at the farm a girl looking after the geese. The Grand parents - so a small farm was Labour intensive up until late 19th Century. The Carpenter, silversmith, coppersmith, hat-maker, tailor all would have a household of several people. Therefor big pots for making the menu.
I am not fully avare of what porrige mens. But I assume its = grød.
These grødskeer are vey common. We had one i my home when I was a child. And used it for soup. Though it was not the most effective spoon. I have one from the home of my wife and they are always for sale at several different boots at antique fairs. The majority are plated and not solid silver. I assume that they became common in the 19th Century. After silverplate. Before often made by other materials - like any other spoon. Guess mostly Wood.
As I wrote often worn on the left side of the spoon. due to the fact that the grød would be "difficuld" to get out of the pot. Up the sides and around the buttom.
Re: Giant Danish Spoon...What was it used for?
They are very common. But they are all plated. The large silver ones has proberly never been common. They contain a fair amount of silver And the scrapping is logical for the value But also around WW2 they where out of fashion, and you had to supply scrap-silver if you wanted to buy new silver. 1 gram of scrap when you bought 1 gram of new silver. These large spoons would amount of 4 spoons for eating.
Dont know whether the silver ones ever have been used in the kitchen. Proberly not. For making the food you would use other materials. Serving the food would be another thing.
Dont know whether the silver ones ever have been used in the kitchen. Proberly not. For making the food you would use other materials. Serving the food would be another thing.
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Francais
Re: Giant Danish Spoon...What was it used for?
Very convincing argument for only, or primarily one use, at least in Norway, but what a grim picture of life.
Porridge is evidently the same thing, often made from oats.
I don't think the very large spoons were often used in the kitchen, but I believe Clayton shows one with a ring on the end, meaning it was meant to be hung, meaning is was probably used in a fireplace or kitchen. Sometimes even wealthy people, didn't have servants, and did their own cooking, so using a large spoon for basting is not so odd. In fact someone in a book described my 4x Great grand father, who was very wealthy, as cooking his dinner of fish heads over a fire. By the way, he was also very odd.
I don't think the wear on the tip or side of a spoon, is necessarily a sign of what it was used for so much as a sign of frugality. The French avoided the wear by making spoons that had very wide or deep tips on their spoons, because not only were they frugal, but they didn't like to go buy new spoons every 100 years.
Maurice
Porridge is evidently the same thing, often made from oats.
I don't think the very large spoons were often used in the kitchen, but I believe Clayton shows one with a ring on the end, meaning it was meant to be hung, meaning is was probably used in a fireplace or kitchen. Sometimes even wealthy people, didn't have servants, and did their own cooking, so using a large spoon for basting is not so odd. In fact someone in a book described my 4x Great grand father, who was very wealthy, as cooking his dinner of fish heads over a fire. By the way, he was also very odd.
I don't think the wear on the tip or side of a spoon, is necessarily a sign of what it was used for so much as a sign of frugality. The French avoided the wear by making spoons that had very wide or deep tips on their spoons, because not only were they frugal, but they didn't like to go buy new spoons every 100 years.
Maurice
Re: Giant Danish Spoon...What was it used for?
In the example picture I posted you can look at the size and construction of the spoon. Clearly it would not be used to cook with as it would have a very limited life span due to how it is constructed. The weight of the bowl and items being stirred versus the thickness and strength of the stem would very much so limited its practicality. That is the main reason why I thought it was some sort of ceremonial spoon. I have heard reasonable explanations from others that it is a wedding spoon, and still from others that it was used for baptisms. I can also see how it could be used as a serving spoon for porridge or dumplings. The weight of the spoon is the equivalent of about 10 standard medium to heavy grade coin silver spoons.
Re: Giant Danish Spoon...What was it used for?
Forget babtism - no tradidition in the Evangeliske Lutherske kirke (church) for using such items in the ceremoni. A child you gave a small spoon. A spoon that matched their mouth and hand.AGHEAD wrote:That is the main reason why I thought it was some sort of ceremonial spoon. I have heard reasonable explanations from others that it is a wedding spoon, and still from others that it was used for baptisms.
Forget wedding. For wedding you gave a spoon for eating or a beaker. A wedding spoon has double initials. Wedding spoons often given in pair. 2 or 4 or 6 or 8 or 12. Depending on how big a gifth.
These grød skeer was given for people wo had "everything" silver wedding (25 years). I have one given as a prize of honnor. It says "dueven" = pichen friend. Could be a prize at a animal fair. Could also be given as a prize in gardening competition.