Irish horn spoons: their design history and social significance

Abstract

The use of animal horn to make smooth eating spoons has a long lineage in Ireland but the subject has received little attention. This paper considers their form and manufacture, how they were traded, their social significance and the ways in which they were used and displayed. It is grounded in the physical examination and comparative analysis of over 120 horn spoons from museums throughout Ireland. Until now, researchers have done little to date these spoons, and this paper concentrates on surviving examples since 1650. Where unavailable in Ireland, evidence about tools and techniques is drawn from Scotland and neighbouring areas with related traditions. Some spoons were made in overtly fashionable shapes while plain and undecorated examples were used by the poor. Institutions issued them to inmates well into the 1920s. In this regard, Irish horn spoons reflect resourcefulness in Irish society.