Konya's Art of Spoon Making

The craft of spoon-making was highly regarded in Konya during both the Seljuk and Ottoman eras. In fact, throughout the Ottoman period, Konya spoons were in constant demand, not only in neighboring regions but also in countries like Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria.

Spoon crafting takes place in small workshops or rooms. The tools used include saws, adzes, planes, rasps, sandpaper, carving knives, scrapers, and files. Spoons are typically made from the knot-free sections of the chosen trees, and these pieces are cut to roughly 35 cm in length. After being split and roughly shaped, the spoon is refined using tools like the jack plane. The spoon's handle is carefully aligned with the bowl, and the entire piece is smoothed with a rasp and sandpaper before being polished.

Once the spoon is fully shaped and sanded, a varnish known as "ruan" is applied. This clear varnish is made by boiling linseed oil with pine resin until it reaches the desired consistency. After cooling, the mixture is layered onto the spoons. If the spoon is to be decorated, a primer is first applied, followed by varnish after it dries.

The decoration process involves embellishing the bowl and handle of the spoon. Common motifs include floral designs like daisies, roses, hyacinths, carnations, and tulips, as well as architectural depictions. Proverbs or poems are often inscribed along the handle.

Different varieties of spoons were crafted in Konya, including those for soup, rice, desserts, and milk puddings. Ladles are also included in this group. Additionally, the traditional "dancing spoons," used in Konya folk dances, continue to be produced today, alongside decorative souvenir spoons.

Spoon cases, typically found in villages, are another element of this art. These cases, made from wood or cloth, are used to store and protect spoons. They often feature wood carvings or painted decorations, with a range of ornamental designs.

Over time, technology has replaced much of the traditional spoon-making craftsmanship. By the 1940s, Konya was home to many spoon factories, producing between 150,000 to 200,000 spoons annually, which were exported to countries like Yemen and the Hejaz. Today, however, traditional spoon shops no longer exist, and plain, machine-made spoons are mostly found in souvenir stores.

In Anatolia, the earliest spoons were discovered in Çatalhöyük and Hacılar, dating back to around 7-6 thousand years BC. In this region, spoons are named based on the material they are crafted from. Initially, they were made from clay, but later, wood and metal became the primary materials. Wooden spoons are typically made from trees like boxwood, juniper, hornbeam, oak, pear, and elm, while metal spoons were crafted from iron, copper, brass, silver, and even gold. Konya, Akseki, Kaş, and Bolu are some of the notable centers in Anatolia renowned for spoon production.