Des mois et des Apôtres : à propos d'une cuillère d’argent inscrite trouvée dans la Saône

Abstract

The decoration of a silver spoon found in the Saône river in Lyons, dated from the 6th century, allows to collocate it in a group which should illustrate the twelve months of the year. This object provides an additional indication of the existence of coherent dozens of spoons, dedicated, for instances, to the Apostles. Two other elements of the decoration on the handle, a cross and an ivy-leaf, give the opportunity to go back over another group of late spoons which use the same patterns, coming mainly from graves in Occident. Their function is again discussed, to dismiss the hypothesis of objects specifically destined for a funeral use.