Redefining Value (In & Out of the Kitchen): The NeckLAdle

ICFF is all about design. There's a lot of beautiful design that begs to be admired and examined. We saw some things that seemed like good and practical additions to our kitchen, but mostly we saw design that made us reflect on the kitchen, its purpose, and how we think of our cooking.

The NeckLAdle is one of these things. It's a necklace made out of a segmented wooden spoon and strung on a cord. This sounds impractical for most of us, right? Listen to what the artist had to say about her design...

From the product listing at Crafts Collection, check out Katrine Borup's thought behind the NeckLAdle:

With NeckLAdle, Katrine Borup wants to question the conventional understanding of value. Could a ladle that one's mother used to serve hundreds of meals be as valuable as, or maybe even more valuable than, a piece of gold jewellery?

We adore our wooden spoons, and the thought of an artist celebrating such a simple, functional piece of kitchenware, as well as acknowledging the preciousness of kitchen tools that are handed down through generations, really made our day.

• The NeckLAdle at Crafts Collection

(Images: Faith Hopler and Crafts Collection)

Comments (5)

No, Faith, you really liked what the artist had to say about HER design. Yeesh. I don't really mind the editorial "we," but really! Katrine is one person, and female.

Thanks for the correction, viola.

without the artist statement, i would have read this as a feminist comment about a woman's place in the kitchen - wooden spoon as noose around the neck. I like her intention better, but it is interesting how the same thing can be read so differently.

Wow.... don't read that much into it...
The only thing keeping women in the kitchen... is women anymore.

I personally have the wooden spoons that were my grandmothers and her mothers before her. I think this is a fantastic use for them.

Hmm, I think these are so much more beautiful in the photo with the model than in the package.