Three fabulous uses from one wonderful remnant of history: the small spoon with the quirky sized bowl.
Imagine your morning routine - it's early, you're really running a little behind because, well, aren't we all mostly.. and you're getting your breakfast ready in a hurry.
Wouldn't those otherwise forgotten moments be just that much brighter if the jam for your bread, or tea for your favorite to-go cup were scooped with one of these pieces of complete delight?
In the Victorian era dining was all about having single-purpose pieces like pickle forks and stilton scoops - literally something individual for each little job on the lavish dining table.
In the early to mid part of the 19th century this was toned down quite a bit, but silverware in general remained something 'you ought to have'. This has resulted in wide availability of many fabulous bits of silverware today.
And though the stilton scoops and asparagus tongs have been retired somewhat, a few specific-purpose items remained part of the set in the 1900s, and are still fabulous in use today: the sugar and preserves and tea caddy spoons.
Today, most of the larger sets of silverware that was so prominent and glamorous in the past, are hidden away, because the large and frequent upkeep that silverware requires is impractical for modern family life. So a lot of it, unfortunately, lies unused in cupboards and drawers.
However, the lovely little spoons, perfect for the tea caddies or preserves jar remain en vogue, because they are so perfectly suited to add some historic style to the modern dinner, tea or breakfast table, with little extra effort.
Whichever purpose you prefer, these spoons, often made with wonderful ornamental designs,
elevate the table setting all on their own. And they look great in the company of other modern tableware - just as they of course still do alongside other antique and vintage pieces.
These particular versions of the spoons with the large bowl and a multitude of ornamental handles are typical 1900s designs.
We, at Rolighed Scandinavian Antiques, subscribe religiously to this notion that these little spoons still deserve their place in modern table setting - and almost guarantee that they'll earn their place in your home too. They are just that wonderful to have around.
Open a tea tin, and there they are to make the tea-making more magical.
Place one in the sugar bowl for your little 'extra' afternoon tea, and make the whole experience that much nicer.
Or use them for your Saturday morning toast and preserves - suddenly that little sparkling piece of stunning craftsmanship can transform the whole morning routine.
We take special care and make great effort to look out mostly for the wonderfully ornamental ones - because it is such a tell of the time, and social context they were created within. Whether English, Danish, German or French, whether from the 1800s or the mid 1900s, and whether silver or silver plated - they are worth the purchase. They really will elevate anything from little daily moments to afternoon teas with friends, or on the dinner table as part of the nightly setting.
The best part about the collection we have put together here is the diversity it shows, meaning there is something for every taste, and for all price points.
Sometimes the spoons you'll see come from larger sets of silverware, like the fourth on the left in the picture to the right. It is a silver plated spoon in the design Stjerne (Star) by Jens Harald Quistgaard.
Other times they are stand-alone pieces, like this mid-century modern A. Michelsen masterpiece in silverplate (Middle Right in the picture to the right).
Their ornamental nature and quirky shape, make them just delightful, and they are a remnant of the past that deserves a second look, a little renaissance.
And because they work wonderfully as stand-alone pieces for a table, they are great gifts that would be a joy to unwrap.
We are constantly hunting for more, because truthfully, we just can't get enough of them - silver or silver plated. So do keep an eye out for when new ones are added.
Take a stroll through our ever-growing selection of the beautiful spoons here
And if you see one you like that we haven't listed yet, do reach out!