Today, few can imagine that once there were no cutlery and people ate with their hands. When picking up a spoon or fork, people don’t think about how important this item was in former times. As for the tin spoon, then there is a story.
Appearance of a spoon
The first spoons appeared in ancient times and were originally made from clay, shells, shells, horns, wood, etc.
The first golden spoons appeared in ancient Rome with noble gentlemen. The Egyptian nobility used ivory spoons decorated with precious stones. In Europe, they used mainly wooden.
And only in the 15th century did copper spoons become popular. But royalty and aristocrats continued to use cutlery made of expensive metals - gold and silver.
By the end of the 18th century, bronze and tin old spoons were no longer a sign of wealth, but existed in almost every family.
Tin story
Tin is one of the seven metals of antiquity. It was used for the manufacture of various household items and utensils. However, before tin was mined in its pure form, people knew only the alloy of this metal with copper, which was called bronze. Moreover, according to scientists, tin began to be used even earlier than iron. And in ancient times, this metal was considered more expensive than gold.
The properties of tin allow it to be used in various fields of human activity. But he occupied a special niche in the food industry.
Pewter
Over time, not only glasses, goblets and tureens, but also other cutlery began to be made from tin. For example, a tin spoon was already available in many families. It was made by special craftsmen who carried out all the work manually.
Pewter itself is not made from pure tin. Antimony, copper or lead are added to the composition. There was a special “Nuremberg test”, according to which foundries created tin dishes. That is, only 1 part of lead was added to 10 parts of tin.
It was because of the presence of lead in the composition that it was previously believed that such dishes are harmful to health. However, in reality, such kitchen utensils are most valuable after gold, silver and platinum. In addition, this metal does not rust, which makes it especially attractive. Over time, it becomes even better and more expensive, as it becomes covered with a patina.
By the way, one of the advantages of making pewter is casting. If from other metals it was necessary to forge or mint utensils, then the tin was only cast in special forms.
Another advantage of tin utensils is its safety. Products such as a tin spoon, a cup, a plate and others absolutely do not affect the smell and taste of food.
There is an interesting legend of Napoleonic times, claiming that the battle in 1812 was lost, because Napoleon’s army had tin forks and spoons, as well as buttons on their uniforms. And since tin is “afraid” of severe frosts, when the French commander with his army was in Russia, under the influence of low temperature, the buttons and dishes of the soldiers crumbled to dust. Then they began to call this property "tin plague."
Cutlery Care
It is believed that pewter is capricious in everyday life, as it requires very careful handling.
- It must not be washed in a dishwasher.
- It is undesirable to use cleaning products, especially for abrasives.
- Do not use hard sponges or, especially, tin nets for washing, as they can scratch the surface of the products.
It is necessary to immediately rid the dishes of food residues so that they do not affect the metal, rinse in warm water and thoroughly wipe dry with a soft cloth, preferably with a pile.
If the tin objects darkened, after some time, they can be polished with special cleaning agents for silver and brass. They will remove corrosion and darkening.
And in the end, you will not use such dishes daily, except only on holidays or at the arrival of guests. Therefore, care for her often does not have to.
Pewter products as a gift
A tin spoon, a cup, a tureen or any other item will be an ideal and expensive gift for the 10th anniversary of someone else's wedding. Since living together 10 years in a marriage are called tin. Such products will become a very symbolic gift, which will show your attention and respect for this pair.