Wavy-end spoon 1700 - 1715

Editor: Here we have the "Wavy-end spoon" created by Georg Friedrich Scholtze, sometime between 1700 and 1715. It's crafted from silver and now resides at the Met. The spoon feels so simple, but at the same time grand in its silvery sheen. It really looks to tell stories. What do you make of this particular object? Curator: This spoon speaks to the everyday extravagance of the Baroque period. Forget plain forks, knives and spoons. The upper classes wanted ornate details in everything they touched, and something even as simple as a spoon would get the royal treatment. These are also objects about marking yourself out and away from your class. What sort of story do you imagine it would tell? Editor: Perhaps a story of family meals, a wedding gift or even part of a grand inheritance! It almost looks like there are symbols engraved? Curator: Precisely. See those little crests or hallmarks? Each mark might indicate the silversmith, the city of origin, or even the year it was made. Decoding these marks can be like reading a tiny biography of the spoon itself. These objects become quite evocative and even spiritual, if you start to wonder where that piece of metal had been through the course of history. Editor: So this wasn’t *just* a spoon; it was a signifier of status, artistry and local production. Curator: Absolutely! And imagine holding that history in your hands! Do you find it interesting how functional items can actually be some of the most revealing about a particular culture? Editor: I'm thinking about that now and the question just unlocked everything. Amazing. Curator: Food for thought indeed!