When researching tattoos, you are bound to see some images that you never thought would be a good image for a tattoo. However, this is generally because you just don’t “get it”. Damn near every image in the universe has some symbolism and meaning to somebody.
Just because you wouldn’t get doesn’t mean it isn’t a good option for someone else. I say this because the spoon tattoo used to be strange to me. On the other hand, when you start looking into it you start to see the meaning behind it and if you talk to someone with a spoon tattoo, you might find the spoon tattoo is very special to them.
Believe it or not, the spoon can be a powerful symbol and depending on the country or culture you are referring to, you might tend to see a lot of spoon symbolism. In tattooing, sometimes the simple designs are the most meaningful and think we can call the spoon a simple design. On the other hand, there are some very decorative spoons out there. The spoon tattoo might be a better fit for you than you think.
In this post we are going to talk about the history of the spoon and how it originated. We will also discuss the meaning behind the spoon tattoo and how the symbolism changes based on what part of the world you are in. We will also talk about some of our favorite variations of the spoon tattoo and talk about what they mean. We hope you have a better understanding of the spoon tattoo symbolism and why it is popular by the end of this post.
History of the Spoon
Spoons happen to be one of the oldest utensils used for eating. This doesn’t come as much of as surprise as humans need food to live and to have something to scoop it up in makes it a whole lot easier to eat. In addition to being a helpful tool to get your nourishment from, spoons can be created out of almost anything unlike a knife or fork that requires some tooling. Spoons can be created out of stones that happen to be shaped that way, seashells or even leaves.
It is difficult to determine when the spoon was “invented”. By invented we mean adding a handle to a scooping surface. That being said, evidence from archaeology says that handled spoons were used in ancient Egypt for purposes of religion starting around 1000 BC. The spoons at this time were made from materials like slate, wood, flint and ivory. Many of these spoons were covered in hieroglyphics and lavish decorations.
Even though spoons had been used as decorations, when it comes to being functional, wood was used as the main material for making spoons as it was cheap. As time moved forward and the Romans and Greeks started finding ways to spend their wealth, spoons started being made of silver and bronze.
At this point, we can fast forward to everything we know about the spoon. It is a functional tool to eat but also reference in pop culture and symbolism.
Spoon Tattoo Meaning
Depending on how the spoon is being used or how it is being referred to will tell the story of the symbolism of your spoon tattoo. A basic spoon tattoo could mean as little as you like to eat or you enjoy cooking. It could also symbolize something deeper.
Spoons are essentially a small mirror to the culture surrounding us in part because everyone uses them, and they are universal. Everyone uses spoons in some way, so we could talk about the spoon being a symbol of unity and inclusiveness.
The spoon tattoo also symbolizes the nourishment of your soul. Because we use the spoon to feed our body with food and nutrients, we could also say the spoon tattoo is a way to talk about spiritual enlightenment. Without saying too much, the spoon is under the radar in terms of talking about your journey of soulful nourishment. You can choose to tell someone what it means to you or let them guess.
Spoon Tattoo Variations
One might think the spoon tattoo is very simple, but the image is used in pop culture on many levels. Below are a few examples of the way the spoon tattoo can be depicted and what it means.
Matrix Spoon
The spoon was a symbol in the movie The Matrix to help explain what the matrix really was. While the main character sat in a room waiting to speak with the Oracle, a child was bending the spoon with his mind. The child told Neo that it would be impossible for him to bend the spoon by trying. Instead, try realizing the truth and that is there is no spoon.
This version of the spoon tattoo is symbolic of the movie and beliefs that the person with the tattoo might have in relation to this movie.
Little Spoon, Big Spoon
This term is used when referring to the sleeping position of you and your partner. When one person lies on their side and another person lies on their side directly behind them, it is called spooning. Just like one spoon sits right in the groove another spoon when stacked, we can fill the spaces with our bodies. This tattoo might be representative of your relationship with your significant other.
Cooking Spoon
The cooking spoon is often used to represent a love for the kitchen. In addition to the cooking knife, the spoon is a major addition to the kitchen and can be a simple way to tell the world you are a fan of cooking.
Love Spoon Tattoo
The Welsh love spoon is a famous local symbol that says, “I love you”. The love spoon originally represented a wedding anniversary or engagement in Wales. They are also given to parents from their children as a symbol of love or friendship. They are well known in Wales and also made to be beautiful and decorative.
Whatever you choose to make of your spoon tattoo, it will be special to you. Just make sure to take your time to make sure you find an artist that you feel good about.