Inventarnummer
52/170
Beschreibung
This ladle is made of horn, and was probably used for ladling things such as soup. It was bought by the donor at auction sale in Hexham.
Physische Beschaffenheit
1 ladle: horn; good condition
Bestandsgeschichte
MERL 'Catalogue index' card – ‘… // DATE ACQUIRED: // GROUP: // NEGATIVE: // PERIOD: // PLACE OF ORIGIN: // NUMBER: // DESCRIPTION: …‘ From Mediaeval times until the advent of factory produced metal commodities, horn was widely used for making a wide variety of domestic and other utensils, e.g. drinking vessels, cups, spoons, ladles, flasks, knife handles and powder boxes. The method of preparing the horn varied according to its ultimate use, but for making such things as spoons, which are relatively flat, the method generally adopted was to remove the tip of the horn and cut it down on one side. It was then steamed or baked to such an extent that it could be flattened and shaped under pressure. The craftsman requires very few tools for horn work - a boiler and a press, a knife, a circular cutting saw and grinding and polishing buffs are all that he requires, apart from a great deal of skill. // Good quality horn has many advantages over glass, metal and wood for domestic uses, in that it does not warp, bend or break. It is light and strong, and as it is a poor conductor of heat and will not absorb or retain flavours, it is excellent for such things as spoons and ladles. // Horn spoons and ladles of this kind are very commonly used in northern counties, and quite often they may be sold in jeweller's shops, inlaid with silver, as souvenirs of those districts. In the north they are as common as wooden spoons are in the south. //
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