Editing Teaspoon (section)

== History ==
[[File:Frenchman offered a 13th cup of tea.jpg|thumb|An 1825 cartoon makes fun of a Frenchman unfamiliar with the British etiquette. The guest did not place his spoon into the cup and is thus being offered his thirteenth cup of tea.{{sfn|Pettigrew|2001|p=84}}]]
The teaspoon is a European invention.{{sfn|Ukers|1935|p=448}} Small spoons were common in Europe since at least the 13th century. These special spoons were introduced almost simultaneously with tea and coffee{{sfn|Ukers|1935|p=448}} (Pettigrew points to use in the mid-17th century{{sfn|Pettigrew|2001|p=37}}). Originally teaspoons were exotic items, precious and small, resembling the [[demitasse spoon]]s of the later times.{{sfn|Ukers|1935|p=448}} Also used for coffee, these spoons were usually made of [[gilt silver]], and were available with a variety of handle shapes: plain, twisted, decorated with knobs,{{sfn|Pettigrew|2001|p=37}} also known as ''knops'', hence the ''knop-top'' name for such spoons.{{sfn|Veitgh|1923|p=121}} Widespread use and modern size date back to the [[Georgian era]].{{sfn|Ukers|1935|p=448}} 
The teaspoon is first mentioned in an advertisement in a 1686 edition of the ''London Gazette'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oed.com/start;jsessionid=9A84522118C28436574C5BAB966B86C5?authRejection=true&url=%2Fview%2FEntry%2F198423%3FredirectedFrom%3Dteaspoon|title=Home : Oxford English Dictionary|website=oed.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/2203/pages/2|title=London Gazette Issue 2203 27 December 1686 page 2 'three small gilded Tea Spoons'}}</ref> teaspoons, probably of English origin, are present on the 1700 Dutch painting by [[Nicholas Verkolje]], "A Tea Party".{{sfn|Pettigrew|2001|p=25}}

A special dish for resting the teaspoons, a "[[spoon boat]]", was a part of the [[tea set]] in the 18th century.{{sfn|Pettigrew|2001|p=81}} At that time, the spoons were playing important role in the tea drinking etiquette: a spoon laid "across" the teacup indicated that the guest did not need any more tea, otherwise, the hostess was obligated to offer a fresh cup of tea, and it was considered impolite to refuse the offering.{{sfn|Pettigrew|2001|p=85}}{{sfn|Roth|1961|p=72}} Pettigrew reports that sometimes the spoons were numbered to make it easier to match the cups with the guests after a refill.{{sfn|Pettigrew|2001|p=85}}