A Gathering of Spoons: The Design Gallery of the World's Most Stunning Wooden Art Spoons

by Norman D. Stevens

Featuring more than 200 hand-carved art spoons, this collection is the definitive photographic record of the world’s most brilliant and beautiful examples of art spoon design. Spoons are not just utilitarian tools but are also revered as powerful ceremonial and symbolic objects Showing how spoonmaking has been a respected craft and art form in many cultures for centuries, this work celebrates the resurgence of the art form in recent years. A fascinating visual record of great art in an unusual form, A Gathering of Spoons presents a dazzling variety of forms, materials, and carving techniques and showcases the finest work in spoonmaking from around the world, with each piece beautifully photographed to present its unique visual appeal.

126 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2012

Reviews

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Description: Featuring more than 200 hand-carved art spoons, this collection is the definitive photographic record of the world's most brilliant and beautiful examples of art spoon design. Spoons are not just utilitarian tools but are also revered as powerful ceremonial and symbolic objects Showing how spoonmaking has been a respected craft and art form in many cultures for centuries, this work celebrates the resurgence of the art form in recent years. A fascinating visual record of great art in an unusual form, ""A Gathering of Spoons"" presents a dazzling variety of forms, materials, and carving techniques and showcases the finest work in spoonmaking from around the world, with each piece beautifully photographed to present its unique visual appeal.













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[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

"As best Dan and I can tell, we both began attending the LNHC fair in the same year. That first year Nora bought a small rectangular bowl from him and I think I bought a spoon; but I can no longer be sure if I bought my first spoon that year or the next. Nor can I remember which of his several spoons in my collection it might have been." Perfect. I'm so happy this book exists.

[Serge Pierro · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A Gathering of Spoons" is a fine collection of hand carved spoons from a wide range of artists. The book opens with a few short essays on the subject and then moves onto the bulk of the book which features the spoons themselves.

On the plus side there are some gorgeous designs and workmanship throughout, however, there is a bit of inconsistency, as I found many of the spoons to be quite dreadful. Of course this is a subjective matter, but I felt that some of the spoons were downright ugly… yet, these might be the ones that appeal to you most… after all the author thought enough of them to include them in the book.

Another interesting element of the book is the listing of the type of wood that the spoon was carved from. It was nice to be able to see a wide variety of woods used throughout the book, some of which I had never considered for carving.

The photography is well done, however, there is only one photo of each spoon. I would have liked to have seen a format that included the front, back and side… especially the side so that the viewer could get an idea of the crank used for the design.

Overall it is a welcome addition to a spoon carver's library, as it offers a wide range of styles and woods. You will most certainly find at least one spoon in which you will absolutely fall in love with…