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Spoon with Fishtail Handle

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Image Not Available for Spoon with Fishtail Handle
Spoon with Fishtail Handle
Image Not Available for Spoon with Fishtail Handle

Spoon with Fishtail Handle

Place of OriginKorea
DateKoryo Dynasty (918-1392)
DimensionsL: 10 3/4 in.
MediumBronze
ClassificationMetalwork
Credit LineGift of Grafton M. Acklin
Object number
1927.191
Not on View
Label TextKorean burial bronzes usually included mirrors, toilet boxes, hair pins, chopsticks, and spoons. All these types, unlike ceramic wares interred in tombs, seem to have been actually used by the living before being buried for the comfort of the dead in the afterlife. Some traditions of Korean cuisine are reflected in the food utensils: these large spoons might have been used for a huge pot of stew. Also, the fish shape of the handle held a mystic significance which has been lost through the ages.

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