Spoon with Saint Paul as an Athlete
Spoon with Saint Paul as an Athlete
350-400
Silver, silver gilt, and niello
Overall: 4.6 x 5.6 cm (1 13/16 x 2 3/16 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1964.39
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Description
Silver spoons with swan neck handles (ligulae) were popular in the Late Roman Empire. This late antique spoon is unique because it is decorated with the nude figure of a victorious athlete identified in an inscription as PAVLVS (Paul). It is tempting to interpret the juxtaposition of the name with a classical representation of an athlete as a subtle allusion to a passage in Saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 9:24-27), in which the apostle characterizes himself as an "athlete of Christ." While this interpretation may imply that the spoon’s owner was a Christian, it does not imply a religious function for the object, which was likely used for display or fine dining.
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