Set of commemorative spoons collected by Ignacy and Helena Paderewski during their travels

Of the interesting souvenirs that the Paderewskis brought back from their extensive travels, what stands out is a collection of spoons decorated with city coats of arms, resort panoramas and scenes of tourist attractions. The most striking ones were acquired during a concert tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1904.
The tip of the handle of the souvenir spoon from Sydney bears the local coat of arms from the period. The emblem combines allegorical elements illustrating the city’s history. The shield shows a beehive, symbolising the city’s burgeoning industry, and a sailing ship on the crest of a wave, representing the city’s great port. Above the shield is a crowned anchor and the whole thing is flanked by an Australian aboriginal man on one side and a British seaman on the other. Another spoon, whose bowl is made from an indigenous pinkish shell, has a handle which ends in a squarish map of Tasmania with a marker indicating the seat of the island’s governor in Hobart. The spoon from New Zealand, meanwhile, is decorated with a greenish translucent handle made of jade with an image of a kiwi bird, both features being symbolic of the country.