Spoon with Fish-Tail Design

918–1392

Spoon with Fish-Tail Design, 918–1392. Korea, Goryeo period (918-1392). Silver bronze; overall: 30 cm (11 13/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Director's Contingent Fund 1917.339 Many of Goryeo period spoons like this one feature a curved handle that splits into a jagged fishtail design. This fishtail design is not unique to Korea; it was also widely used in the area under the rule of two non-Han Chinese states: Liao (907–1125) and Jin (1115–1234). These seemingly ordinary objects testify to exciting material interactions between the Goryeo dynasty and non-Han Chinese northern states, which were often omitted from the official records. Bronze spoons are the most common burial item. Scholars have proposed that toward the end of the 14th century, Koreans enjoyed meat-based soups more than any other dishes, explaining why spoons became common household items as well as burial goods.