Vintage Wednesday: What is it?

Here's another piece used by Victorians to set an elaborate table. Some say it was used as a symbol of hospitality, others say it was used as a status symbol. It can be confused with an open sugar, a sugar bottom, a celery vase or even a tumbler. It's called a spooner.

A spooner was used to hold silver spoons - which probably gave rise to the idea that it was a status symbol since some couldn't afford silver spoons. It seems that spooners were often sold as part of a breakfast set: creamer, sugar, butter dish and spooner. Spooners are generally 4 to 6 inches tall with a beaded or serrated top edge. Tumblers are usually shorter and narrower and celery vases are generally much taller.

Spooners can be made of glass, silver or other metals and even ceramics. The glass spooners can be found in Jadite, Flow Blue and even carnival glass.

I've also read that a spooner evolved from what's called a "spill holder." A spill, splint or taper was used to light stoves, candles or pipes in the 1700s and early 1800s. But as matches became more readily available, the spill holder evolved into the spooner for the Victorian table.

Whatever the history, I've enjoyed my little spooner as it now holds my most prized silver spoons. I especially like it because the swans make me want to Swoon....