The coffee bean was discovered in pre-1000 A.D Ethiopia. Since then, the ritual of coffee drinking has become a part of everyday life; a tradition, a treat, and a necessity for many in the modern day.
The first coffee house was opened in Britain in 1651. Coffee had been introduced to Britain by the East India Company, who had also introduced Britain to tea leaves some time prior. Rooted in tradition from this point onwards, coffee has retained its popularity over the years throughout the world.
By the turn of the 20th century, coffee had become even more commonplace. No longer was it only available from coffee houses and local roasteries but, from 1900, it was vacuum packed by companies such as Hills Bros so that it could be distributed nation-wide, rendering it more readily available for the masses.
Arrival of the Coffee Bean Spoon
The availability and consequent popularity of coffee explains the need for the invention of the coffee bean spoon. Of course, coffee and teaspoons became a necessity as soon as coffee and tea were popularised.
Coffee bean spoons are similar to teaspoons, featuring a coffee bean shaped finial that would, most likely, be used to serve coffee. There are many examples of vintage coffee bean spoons from the first half of the 20th century, most commonly found in sets of 6 and neatly boxed. They originated during the Art Deco era (examples can be found dating from circa 1910 onwards) and have a wonderfully novel and vintage nostalgia to them. It is likely that these spoons began to be widely manufactured in conjunction with a serious surge in the popularity of coffee- a popularity that was largely a result of prohibition in the USA.
From around the 1830s, coffee had been regarded as a temperance drink (something to consume in the place of an alcoholic beverage), and used to reform heavy drinking Americans. A religious magazine at the time stated the opinion “If a man must, from habit, drink at 11 o’clock, let him drink ‘Hot Coffee’.” Therefore, on the advent of prohibition in 1920, coffee saw a surge in popularity in the US and- due to America’s widespread influence- worldwide. Coffee had stepped in to replace the role of alcohol and products such as silver spoons had to jump into formation. Coffee bean spoons, in the Art Deco style, were crafted widely at this time, reflecting America and England’s reignited love affair with the beverage.
The coffee bean finials themselves can be crafted from various materials including enamel (normally black enamel, but unusual, bright-coloured examples can also be found) and ebony wood. The wooden examples are often crazed in order to give a textured and life-like coffee bean effect.
Here at AC Silver we have a fine example of a coffee bean spoon set displayed traditionally as a set of six in their original presentation case. They are vintage 1939, and feature delicate enamel work depicting flowers. An unusual and truly pleasing set, they would make a wonderfully vintage addition to any coffee service!
