Folding spoon
1809â19
Classification
cutlery
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
The Robert L. Metzenberg Collection, gift of Eleanor L. Metzenberg
Accession Number
1985-103-281-e
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the inventive world of early 19th-century French with the *Folding Spoon* by Gavet Coutelier created between 1809 and 1819. This clever piece of cutlery from the Smithsonian Art Museum exemplifies the era's blend of functionality and ingenuity. Produced by a skilled French cutler—*coutelier* in French—during the Napoleonic Empire's waning years and the Bourbon Restoration, it reflects a time when portable dining accessories were prized by travelers, soldiers, and the emerging middle class seeking convenience on the go. The folding mechanism is the star here, allowing the spoon to co...