Apostle Spoons

Apostle Spoons
Apostle Spoons: • A set of thirteen spoons, usually silver, the handles of which are adorned with representations of Our Lord (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles
Apostle Spoons:     Apostle Spoons

    ^{† Catholic_Encyclopedia ► Apostle Spoons}

    A set of thirteen spoons, usually silver, the handles of which are adorned with representations of Our Lord (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles. Anciently they were given by sponsors as baptismal gifts to their godchildren, the wealthy giving complete sets, others a smaller number, and a poor person a single spoon. The Apostles are distinguished one from the other by their respective emblems:

    ♦ St. Peter with a key, sometimes a fish;

    ♦ St. Andrew with a saltire cross;

    ♦ St. James Major with a pilgrim's staff and gourd;

    ♦ St. John with a chalice;

    ♦ St. Philip with a long staff surmounted with a cross;

    ♦ St. James Minor with a fuller's bat;

    ♦ St. Thomas with a spear;

    ♦ St. Bartholomew with a butcher's knife;

    ♦ St. Matthew with a wallet, sometimes an axe;

    ♦ St. Matthias with a halbert;

    ♦ St. Thaddeus, or Jude, with a carpenter's square;

    ♦ St. Simon with a saw. In some sets St. Paul takes the place of St. Matthias; his emblem is a sword. It is doubtful if these spoons were much in use before 1500; the oldest one known is of the year 1593, and they first appeared as a bequest in the will of one Amy Brent who bequeathed in 1516 "XIII sylver spones of J' hu and the XII Apostells". They are alluded to by the dramatists, Shakespeare, Ben Johnson, Middleton, Beaumont, and Fletcher. In Henry VIII, Act 5, Scene 3, the King asks Cranmer to be sponsor for the infant Elizabeth; he demurs because he is a poor man, upon which Henry banters him in these words: "Come, come, my lord, you'd spare your spoons." While these apostle spoons were used on the Continent, especially in Germany and Holland, they were never as much in vogue there as in England.

    CARYL COLEMAN

    Transcribed by Donald J. Boon

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apostle spoons — plural noun Silver spoons with handles ending in figures of the Apostles, once a common baptismal present • • • Main Entry: ↑apostle … Useful english dictionary
apostle spoons — noun usually as a set of twelve representing the different apostles … Wiktionary
Apostle spoon — An apostle spoon is a spoon (usually silver or silver plated, but sometimes of other metals, such as pewter) with an image of an apostle or other Christian religious figure as the termination of the handle, each bearing his distinctive emblem.… … Wikipedia
Apostle spoon — a spoon having at the end of the handle the figure of one of the 12 apostles, formerly given as a christening present. [1605 15] * * * ▪ utensil spoon for personal use at table, the handle of which is surmounted by a small figure of an… … Universalium
Spoons, Apostle — • A set of thirteen spoons, usually silver, the handles of which are adorned with representations of Our Lord (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 … Catholic encyclopedia
List of types of spoons — For description and history, see spoon. For spoons other than utensils, see Spoon (disambiguation). Eating utensils Spoons are primarily used to transfer edibles from vessel to mouth, usually at a dining table. Named after a drink or food with… … Wikipedia
Spoon — This article is about the utensil. For other uses, see Spoon (disambiguation). Spoons from Pompeii displayed at Naples Nationa … Wikipedia
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Cuillère d'apôtre — Cuillères d apôtre Une cuillère d apôtre est une cuillère à cuilleron rond et dont le manche est décoré d une figure d un Apôtre, d un Saint ou de Jésus Christ. Les séries de douze pièces représentant les douze Apôtres ou treize pièces (douze… … Wikipédia en Français
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