Spoon with Dual Heads

918–1392

Spoon with Dual Heads, 918–1392. Korea, Goryeo period (918-1392). Bronze; overall: 7.5 cm (2 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, General Income Fund 1918.507 This bronze spoon has dual heads: one is large, and the other small. The smaller head is believed to have been used to hold a small dose of liquid medicine. 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.