Today, here in, for me foreign country of Ireland, I learned about the importance of a SPOON.

I took one of a total of six metal spoons away –into my studio – unpermitted.

I took one of the two smaller, thinner ones; believing it would be of less value and surely not being missed.

How did I not see the value of the spoon, it’s intrinsic worth and meanings?

Everyone knows they are the oldest eating tools. Spoons where not merely used for eating but became symbols of status, wealth and rituals. Some people are even borne with a silver spoon in their mouth. Or just remember the tradition of giving silver, ornamented christening spoons.

Not enough I also learned the spoon I took was a ‘dessert spoon’!

Now you can see where things went wrong. In Germany we do not have dessertspoons. We have soupspoons, larger dishing-up spoons and the small, so called ‘teaspoon’. In Germany you would usually use a teaspoon for dessert.

When I was told that one of the ‘larger spoons’ is missing, I shrugged my shoulders; I haven’t taken a dishing up spoon, I thought. “A dessertspoon”, was the demanding voice explaining their loss. I took a moment of contemplation before realising what I had done: I did not take one of the smaller, thinner, less valuable ‘soupspoons’- No! – What did I think! I took one of only two ‘dessertspoons’!

And then dear old auntie Mary came to visit.

Irish dessertspoon, Stainless Steel, front and back.