Openwork Spoon, 5th-4th century BCE, H.9-5/16 x W.1-7/16 x D.2-1/4 in., bronze, China, 5th-4th century BCE, With a handle cast to simulate bamboo, the openwork pattern in the bowl of this spoon, as well as its overall design, are characteristic of the style of the Chu kingdom during the late Eastern Chou era. This southern region also developed polychrome lacquer designs that undoubtedly influenced the complex decorative motifs found on textiles, inlaid bronzes, and cast bronzes that have been exhumed from numerous ancient Chu tombs. It is assumed that an openwork spoon such as this would have been useful in removing the olive from a martini, or for draining spaghetti.