Claw-and-Ball Spoon
copper
2 x 9 x 1.25 in.
Sometimes ornamentation is just strange. Sure, furniture has historically been anthropomorphised in form and terminology. We talk of feet, legs, aprons, skirts, chests, shoulders, fingers … But what compelled the cabinetmakers of the West to actually carve realistic talons on the feet of furniture? As the story goes, claw-and-ball feet were first produced by the Dutch, inspired by Chinese depictions of dragon talons clutching pearls or precious stones on imported goods. 18th-century English cabinetmakers, enamored by the Dutch contribution, developed the idea into the form of a bird’s talons gripping a smooth sphere.* Claw-and-Ball Spoon translates the convention into a handheld utensil that brings ornament and decoration into acts of sustenance. The talon protectively grips the bowl of the spoon, cradling precious food into your mouth.
*Charles Sutton, “Furniture Design: Ball & Claw Motif,” Bienenstock Furniture Library, October 4, 2017, https://www.furniturelibrary.com/use-of-the-ball-claw-design-motif/.