The Golden Anointing Spoon

The spoon is one of the oldest of all eating utensils. From the beginning men have used rocks and carved pieces of bone or wood to scoop food and liquids. At this time forks were mostly only used in Italy and were commonly considered rude, while knives were generally expected to be brought to the table by guests and were not generally provided by the host. During the middle ages the spoon was the most important and widely used of all eating utensils. During the middle ages most commoners ate with spoons carved out of wood, while nobles ate with spoons made of bronze or silver.

 

The Golden Anointing Spoon

 

The spoon became not only an eating utensil but a symbol of status. The fancier and higher quality a noble's spoon was became a subtle way of showing off his wealth and power. The oldest known spoon from England is the golden Anointing Spoon of King Edward I. This spoon is from around 1259 and currently resides in the British Crown Jewels, where it is the oldest artifact in the collection. This special golden spoon was not used to eat, but to anoint the Sovereign with holy oil during ceremonies.

The British Crown Jewels

Sources:

http://www.royal.gov.uk/the%20royal%20collection%20and%20other%20collections/thecrownjewels/overview.aspx  

http://www.eatingutensils.net/history-of-cutlery/spoon-history/

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/10/history-spoons-forks-knives/