Thursday's Visual Treat - Day 4/ Everyday Objects of Extraordinary Design (the spoon)
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| phorocourtesy3-dArt |
Peeps,
The theme of this week's visual treat is 'Everyday Objects of Extraordinary Design,' and the spoon is our featured object today. It seems that yesterday's posting which was devoted to the mirror (or looking glass) surprised many new visitors to our blog, as well as some veteran peeps who may have been wondered at the quite liberal creative license I took in composing the narrative. I sincerely believe that acknowledgment and inclusion of our differences ultimately shapes the manner in which one's image in the mirror is initially perceived and then embraced.
In addition to being creatures of habit, we communicate and construct our world through our senses, of which vision/sight is critically essential (or we learn to depend on the other senses which for our continued survival must be honed to a finer degree of sensitivity for receiving and transmitting information to the brain). If we see someone like us, that makes us more comfortable, and if we see more of us happily integrated in the world, it stands to reason that we perceive the world as being accepting and nurturing of our individuality, our talents, our hopes and dreams, and the other little quirks that make us so special to our friends, family, and co-workers. Well, when this process is interrupted, incomplete, or unsatisfactory we all know what happens! Kudos again to the It Gets Better Project and Dan Savage.
My favorite email received in response to yesterday's posting reads as follows:
JUst read your literary accomplishment for the day (haven't seen the picture as yet). It is very tender and compassionate and, oh, so true -- fortunately and unfortunately.
Fortunately the story of the spoon reads easier and with less issues to swallow. Excavations of Egyptian burial sites reveal many preserved examples of ivory/flint/slate/wooden spoons in various shapes. The Greeks and Romans were quite fond of spoons made of bronze and silver and especially loved decorative handles. Spoons dating from the Medieval times tended to be made of horn (cow and deer), brass or pewter. Once this instrument was inducted into the courts of the early English kings in the 13th century, it quickly became quite popular, second only to the knife. The spoon has remained a constant in flat-ware or eating utensils since, with few minor changes to its basic design of a handle attached to a shallow bowl and shaped/sized to the mouth.
Over the years, the spoon has become quite stylized as well as specialized by purpose, and any able hostess/host/protocol officer/FOH manager can adeptly set a properly laid table integrating any of the following (spoons): bouillon/caviar/demitasse/egg/
absinthe/slotted/wooden.
Not to be forgotten are two expressions which come emotionally charged: Lucky bastard, he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Or, Afterwards, we spooned like lovers do, and slept the night away.
Enjoy today's visual treat.
Sincerely,
Shane
PS: Jeff Judy at Federal City Caterers can answer any questions regarding the etiquette of table-ware or flat-ware. He sets a mean table!!
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