Can anyone tell me the original purpose for a spooner?

I have had several dealers and customers recently ask me if they were for sugar or for jams an sauces. I would like to be able to give the definitive answer :)

asked about 14 years ago

froggieb
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7 Answers

If you are sure you have a spooner, here is an explanation that is used by eapg sites that may help you.

In those early Victorian days the frugal homemaker did not set
spoons out at each place when setting a table. Indeed, she may not have had
enough spoons to go around! Instead, the spoons were kept in a “spooner”
and placed on the table within reach of those who might need them.
It seems so reasonable a practice, we wonder why it was dropped by most
Americans around the turn of the twentieth century.

Hope that helps some.

I don’t know if what you have is a spooner or not as that is not my area.
Is your piece marked at all with any maker?
Maybe Barn will know.

Perhaps try over at the bay on the discussion boards there to see if they can help if no one here can assit.
Try the antiques board or collectibles board or maybe even the pottery and glassware board.
Good Luck

answered about 14 years ago

It depends on what you have. Open container without holders or lid was a spooner (container for holding spoons on the table). If it had a lid or holders around rim a jam or honey pot. My grandmother had both but the glass spooner was always on the kitchen table and the jam pot was for dining.

answered about 14 years ago

I agree with vintage. it was a container for holding spoons when nor formally dining. the wood utensil caddies were for forks and knives.

answered about 14 years ago

Well that looks like a Jam pot….or Honey pot for breakfast serving to me.

answered about 14 years ago

Spooners were normally a fancy decorated Victorian glass table setting piece, to as was stated put spoons in. They sometimes look like a fancy short large opening vase. A lot of them would be considered Early American Pattern Glass. I have a few of them to display my sterling spoons in.

answered about 14 years ago

That makes good sense! Now, what I have listed in my booth is something I have also seen listed as a spooner. This one however is sterling and is more of a pot on a pedestal with a lid that has little holders around the rim to hold 12 spoons. So, is this not a spooner? Or just a different sort of one?
![URL removed]

its stamped on the bottom B.G. Uher Silver Co. Quadruple Plate

Well, Looks like canacreations was on the right track! I Just found this
![URL removed] And they say that it is a French Confiturier. Their description explains that Confiturier translates to “jam-producing.”

so, I would have to say that this is a high brow jam pot! Thank you all for you input. If anyone else has more information on this I would really appreciate it!

Oh, just found another listed as a container for Spoon Sweets from Greece.
![URL removed]

Both the French and the Greek examples are sterling, unfortunately mine is only plate!

answered about 14 years ago

froggieb
Reputation: 774
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Pretty sure it is not a spooner. They were open topped, so the spoons could stand in them and be taken out easily.

answered about 14 years ago

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