Sherbet Spoon
1860-1874 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The small size of this spoon suggests that it was used for pickles. Carved wooden spoons like this one, in a variety of shapes and sizes, were a speciality of Abadah in Iran.
In the period 1800-1900 the town was most famous for its elaborately carved sherbet spoons (‘qashuq’) made of pear- and box-wood. They were the largest and most impressive spoons and were used for drinking sherbet. Slightly smaller ones were used for soup and rice. The smallest spoons, like this example, were used for pickles.
In the period 1800-1900 the town was most famous for its elaborately carved sherbet spoons (‘qashuq’) made of pear- and box-wood. They were the largest and most impressive spoons and were used for drinking sherbet. Slightly smaller ones were used for soup and rice. The smallest spoons, like this example, were used for pickles.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Carved wood |
| Brief description | Spoon, carved pearwood, Abadeh, Qajar Iran, 1860-1865 |
| Physical description | Wooden spoon with carved decoration, including openwork on the handle. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label | 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(2006) |
| 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) |
| Production | Made in Iran, probably Abadah. |
| Associations | |
| Summary | The small size of this spoon suggests that it was used for pickles. Carved wooden spoons like this one, in a variety of shapes and sizes, were a speciality of Abadah in Iran. In the period 1800-1900 the town was most famous for its elaborately carved sherbet spoons (‘qashuq’) made of pear- and box-wood. They were the largest and most impressive spoons and were used for drinking sherbet. Slightly smaller ones were used for soup and rice. The smallest spoons, like this example, were used for pickles. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 934-1869 |
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| Record created | February 23, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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