Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 4th century CE. A leaded copper spoon known as a cochlearium, designed specifically for eating snails or shellfish; cochlea is Latin for "snail." The bowl is shaped like a rounded flask in cross section and is joined to the handle with a decorative neck that features two ribbed, spherical bulbs. The handle narrows into a point at the end for use as a pick to extract gastropods from their shells. By the 1st century BCE snails had become a popular dish throughout Rome, and many villas had garden pens to raise these gastropods. Pliny the Elder even recorded that the first Roman snail farmer developed an irrigation or misting system to keep the snails properly hydrated! There are dozens of snail recipes from this era, and cochlearium spoons such as this example were certainly necessary utensils for dining! Size: 6.25" L x 1" W (15.9 cm x 2.5 cm)
Provenance: ex-Davis collection, Houston, Texas, USA, acquired before 2013 from various auction houses in London and New York
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#133063
Condition
Surface abrasions and nicks commensurate with age and use, otherwise intact and very good. Light mineral deposits and areas of dark patina and toning.