Material

iron

Dimensions

Overall: 18 3/4 x 2 3/4in. (47.6 x 7cm) Diam. of bowl: 5 3/8in. (13.7cm)

Creation Date

circa 1750 – 1850

Description

Wrought iron ladle with a long, flat-sectioned handle pinched in to form a rounded shank near its circular bowl. Handle tip is formed into a suspension hook, and its top surface is decorated with punched circles, arcs, and filed lines.

This instantly recognizable kitchen utensil has been around since ancient times, and can be called either a ladle or a dipper. Whether you think of this humble device as an oversize spoon or a bowl with a long handle, one simply can't prepare or serve certain foods without one. Equally handy in stirring a bubbling stew or dispensing a bowl of soup from a boiling pot, the ladle is the perfect tool to do the tasks it was created for, and is unlikely to be replaced by a more efficient gadget.

Provenance

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Museum Purchase.

Kitchen Artifact ID

Acc. No. 1950-248