Ottoman Turkish Sherbet Spoon

Period: 1700-1900

Origin: Turkey

Medium: Tortoiseshell, Coral

Literature: Exotic and beautiful materials were sourced to make these spoons that the ladies of the harem at Topkapi Palace in Istanbul used when sharing their communal compotes of soaked dried fruit known as ‘Hosaf’. Sweet treats such as this cold fruit sherbet were part of daily life at the court of the Ottomans.