Spoons: Part II -Metal Spoons: Design Inspiration

Many clay designs can be borrowed from spoons made of metal.

Functional spoons? Not for peas, I'm sure. They just might put you off your meal. I

Metal is, of course more resistant to stress than clay. Thin portions are still strong.

So, when designing ceramic spoons, special attention has to be applied to areas of stress such as the join between the handle and bowl, length of the handle and thickness of materials. The special characteristics of various clays must be understood when designing tableware.

I wonder if it would work to reinforce the stem with heat-resistant metal? How would the two materials react to each other? Might be worth an experiment.

Of course, this spoon would not work in clay, but the design is so pleasing, it can serve as a great inspiration for a re-interpretation. 

By the way, this is an absinthe spoon, meant to be placed over the top of a glass and used as a strainer.

I was surprised to learn that absinthe is still being used. I had thought it was outlawed.  

This design, with a little modification, would make a very nice clay spoon.

If you want to design pierced spoons or strainers, a quick look at tea caddies and strainers can give you some good design ideas.

This is a delightful design and works perfectly as a spoon form as does the fish shown is below.

Silver scoop designs would work well as clay since they are more compact.

Seeing this, I had visions of a small salt spoon and a salt dish made like a purse.

Or a face. Placement of the spoon might be amusing.

How about making spoons in the shapes of rounded fruit with stems?

Clumps of beets?  

Onions?  

Or bouquets of different flowers with the blossoms painted into the bowls?

And, of course, there's the great design possibilities of precious metal clay. Best of both worlds.



















from pmccblog.blogspot.com