Spoon

ClassificationsFurnishings-Serviceware-utensils-spoons

Date1850-1906

Collection SiteSan Francisco, California, United States

Used AtSan Francisco, California, United States

MediumClay

Dimensions4 × 1 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. (10.2 × 3.8 × 3.8 cm)

Credit LineThe George Stanley Lodin Collection

Object number2015.17.64

DescriptionThis spoon’s form is typical of those used to consume Chinese food. Characterized by a flat bottom, these spoons are mostly used in the consumption of soups. Typically, such spoons are decorated with traditional designs in various colors. These types of spoons are used by Chinese people, the immigrant populations of China, and non-Chinese people who visit Chinese restaurants, including those in areas such as San Francisco Chinatown. This particular Chinatown was the first to be established in the United States in the 1850s. In 1906, the city suffered a devastating earthquake. This quake and its resulting fires completely destroyed the Chinatown neighborhood. Residents of the area fled their homes and took only essential or important items with them. Spoons such as this would not necessarily have been taken from homes during the emergency, which resulted in various items being left behind in the area’s rubble.

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