Sherbet Spoon

1860-1874 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

About halfway between Isfahan and Shiraz lies the Iranian town of Abadah. Renowned even in the medieval period for its woodwork, Abadah in the nineteenth century was most famous for its elaborately carved sherbet spoons (qashuq) made of pear- and box-wood.

The spoons were made in a variety of shapes and sizes. The largest and most impressive spoons were used for drinking sherbet, while slightly smaller ones were used for soup and rice and the smallest type was used for pickles. Large spoons were usually made in two parts, with a long rhomboid handle joined to the bowl-section by a socket. The socket was concealed under a large rosette to make it appear as if the spoon had been carved from one large piece of wood. Large spoons also had a curved 'buttress' underneath the rosette which braced against the bowl, adding stability and preventing the spoon from breaking under the weight of its load of sherbet.

Exquisitely carved spoons were the preserve of the well-to-do. They featured prominently at fancy dinner gatherings, where they were the only utensils used. The spoons were placed in ceramic basins full of sherbet with their handles balanced on the side and their bowls floating atop the sherbet. A guest would drink from the spoon, then place it back in the basin for the use of the other guests. One spoon might serve for two or three people in this way.

Object details

Category
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Sherbet Spoon
  • Sherbet Spoon Stem
Materials and techniques
Carved wood
Brief description
Spoon, carved pearwood, Abadeh, Qajar Iran, 1860-1865
Physical description
Carved wooden spoon in two sections, elaborately decorated with allover openwork including buteh motifs on the bowl.
Dimensions
  • Length: 52.2cm
  • Width: 6.9cm
  • Height: 6.4cm
Style
Gallery label
(2006)
Jameel Gallery

Three Spoons
Iran, probably Abadah
1860-1874

Making carved wooden spoons was a speciality of Abadah, a village between Isfahan and Shiraz. The larger type was made in two pieces - the long handle was inserted into a slot beneath the central rosette. Spoons of different sizes were for different purposes. Large spoons were for sherbet, medium-sized spoons for soup or rice, and small ones for pickles.

Carved lime wood

Museum nos. 1286-1874, 932B-1869, 934-1869
Object history
Purchased at the Paris Exhibition of 1867. Reporting on the Museum's Iranian holdings to date in May 1873, Robert Murdoch Smith assessed this set of twelve wooden spoons as follows: "All 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." (V&A Archives)
Associations
Summary
About halfway between Isfahan and Shiraz lies the Iranian town of Abadah. Renowned even in the medieval period for its woodwork, Abadah in the nineteenth century was most famous for its elaborately carved sherbet spoons (qashuq) made of pear- and box-wood.

The spoons were made in a variety of shapes and sizes. The largest and most impressive spoons were used for drinking sherbet, while slightly smaller ones were used for soup and rice and the smallest type was used for pickles. Large spoons were usually made in two parts, with a long rhomboid handle joined to the bowl-section by a socket. The socket was concealed under a large rosette to make it appear as if the spoon had been carved from one large piece of wood. Large spoons also had a curved 'buttress' underneath the rosette which braced against the bowl, adding stability and preventing the spoon from breaking under the weight of its load of sherbet.

Exquisitely carved spoons were the preserve of the well-to-do. They featured prominently at fancy dinner gatherings, where they were the only utensils used. The spoons were placed in ceramic basins full of sherbet with their handles balanced on the side and their bowls floating atop the sherbet. A guest would drink from the spoon, then place it back in the basin for the use of the other guests. One spoon might serve for two or three people in this way.
Collection
Accession number
932B/1, 2-1869

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Record createdNovember 8, 2005
Record URL
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