Majolica Spoon Warmers and Spooners

A tradition that has come and past, the Victorian spoon warmer, defines the formality of an age of dining long ago. Made from either metal or ceramic, these archaic beauties of formal elegance have left a legacy of a time when it was proper for those of the finest taste to warm your serving utensil in water before serving, lest it affect the temperature of the food being served.

Closely related in name though not in function are Victorian spooners which acted as spoon holders when serving. Such spooners were included with coffee and tea sets to keep spoons on display for convenience as well as a show of affluence. Unlike spoon warmers which were frequently made of metal, these were often made from ceramic or glass. They were popular in the United Kingdom and in the United States. 

Spooners differ from spoon warmers in their shape as well as function. Where spoon warmers are often larger and broader to hold serving utensils, spooners are small and upright in shape much like small vases to hold teaspoons. These spoon warmers and spooners made in majolica are those we will be looking at here. 

Let’s begin with spoon warmers. The prominent English majolica potteries made large, elaborate, beautiful spoon warmers for the table in marvelous shapes, often with water related themes.

Minton majolica shell spoon warmer.

Minton boat spoon warmer

Registration photo for Minton majolica spoon warmer

Minton majolica spoon warmer

Minton majolica grotesque spoon warmer

Minton majolica spoon warmer registered design

Wedgwood Ocean majolica spoon warmer

Minton majolica triton spoon warmer

George Jones majolica barrel shaped spoon warmer

George Jones majolica crane spoon warmer

George Jones majolica spoon warmer

George Jones majolica spoon warmer

Brown-Westhead Moore majolica egg shaped spoon warmer

Holdcroft majolica.boat spoon warmer, a copy of Minton

Copeland majolica spoon warmer

Copeland majolica spoon warmer

Copeland majolica spoon warmer 

Brownfield majolica spoon warmer

Royal Worcester majolica spoon warmer

Royal Worcester majolica spoon warmer

Bells Pottery majolica dolphin spoon warmer

Spoon warmer attributed to Adams & Bromley

Gerber & Stephan majolica spoon warmer

Lonitz majolica spoon warmer

Unattributed covered metal and majolica spoon warmer

Unattributed majolica spoon warmer

Unattributed majolica fish spoon warmer

Bretby majolica bird and egg spoon warmer

Burmantofts grotesque majolica spoon warmer

Burmantofts majolica grotesque spoon warmer

Bermantofta majolica grotesque spoon warmer

Leeds Art Pottery grotesque spoon warmer

Then we have the spooners, which were included with many Victorian tea services.

Shorter & Boulton majolica Fan spooner

Wardle majolica Fan spooner

Unattributed English majolica spooner

Unattributed English majolica spooner

Forester wild rose and rope spooner

Holdcroft majolica rustic spooner

Wardle or Lear majolica water lily spooner

Wardle Sunflower spooner

Unattributed majolica spooner

Etruscan Majolica Bamboo spooner

Etruscan Bamboo Ivory Ware spooner

Etruscan Majolica Bird spooner

Etruscan Majolica Shell spooner

Spoon warmers disappeared from dining tables during the Edwardian period. Today they are mostly collected for their novel beauty or used as vases. Spooners lasted a bit longer, remaining popular through the first quarter of the 20th century. Today these too are often used as small vases.