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Source 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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
140480
label
Spoon with Saint Paul as an Athlete
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
140480
contentType
object
title
Spoon with Saint Paul as an Athlete
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.
date
350–400
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60758411
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 4.6 x 5.6 cm (1 13/16 x 2 3/16 in.)
cul
late Roman Empire, perhaps Syria, early Byzantine, 4th century
accession
1964.39
Source extras
tec
silver, silver gilt, and niello
tombstone
Spoon with Saint Paul as an Athlete, 350–400. Late Roman Empire, perhaps Syria, early Byzantine, 4th century. Silver, silver gilt, and niello; overall: 4.6 x 5.6 cm (1 13/16 x 2 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1964.39
collection
MED - Byzantine
inscriptions
inscription
the interior of the bowl contains an inscription filled with niello giving the Latin name of "PAVLVS."
citations
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 36
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 36
citation
Wixom, William D. “A Mystery Spoon from the Fourth Century.” <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 57, no. 5 (May 1970): 141–148.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: p. 141-143, figs. 1-3
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 34
citation
Cleveland Museum of Art, and Holger A. Klein<em>. Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art.</em> Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: P. 44-45, no. 5
citation
Hervas, Rocio Gordillo, Eduardo Ferrer Albelda, Alvaro Pereira Delgado. "Compitiendo Para los Dioses: Los Rituales Agonisticos en el Mundo Antiguo," <em>Spal Monografias Arqueologia </em>XLIII Sevilla, 2022.
page_number
cover
creditline
John L. Severance Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 07:13:10.904000
sourceId
140480
dept
Medieval Art
coll
MED - Byzantine
med
silver, silver gilt, and niello
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
5d99d743969ae654