These gouge-shaped instruments are only found in England, in the 17th to 19th centuries. They were made from the metatarsus of a sheep, and served different purposes: removing the core of an apple, taking bites from an apple for (elderly) toothless, or sampling cheese to test the aging.

 

dimensions: 115 mm

provenance: Oxford (UK) date: 17^th – 19^th century