Ball-knopped spoon 1630 - 1665

This silver ball-knopped spoon was made by Hans Möller in the 17th century. Notice the twisted handle culminating in a sphere. The sphere, or ball, is an ancient symbol, embodying wholeness and unity. Spheres evoke celestial bodies and divinity. Consider the orb in portraits of rulers, a symbol of power and dominion that dates back to antiquity. The motif surfaces again and again: from the globus cruciger, representing Christ's dominion over the world, to Renaissance depictions of the cosmos as a series of nested spheres. The unassuming ball at the end of this spoon is tied to humanity’s collective fascination with the infinite, and our primal drive to find order and meaning in the universe. It is a reminder that even the humblest of objects can carry the weight of cultural memory.