Spoon With Saint Paul As An Athlete

Spoon with Saint Paul as an Athlete, 350-400. 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. Creator Unknown. (Photo by Heritage Arts/Heritage Images via Getty Images)