Set of Six Ottoman Turkish Sherbet Spoons
A Set of Six Ottoman Turkish Sherbet Spoons with Faceted Coral Stems Inlaid with Cut Steel and Baleen and with carved Walrus Ivory Bowls
Early 19th Century
Size: 21.5cm long - 8½ ins long (each)
Early 19th Century
Size: 21.5cm long - 8½ ins long (each)
It is said that sets of exotic sherbet spoons were exclusively produced by the craftsmen of the workshops in the grounds of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul for the use of the Grand Viziers at their meetings in the Divan ‘Kubbe Alti’, but it is known from Orientalist paintings that the ladies of the harem also used these beautiful spoons for their afternoon refreshments. These consisted of fragrant compotes of dried fruit known as ‘hosaf’ which would be eaten from a communal bowl with the aid of a spoon.
Set of Six Ottoman Turkish Sherbet Spoons
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