Spanostelli

The Spanostelli is an unusual cooking utensil that was more frequently used during the years of medieval Italy.
Description
It is described as being long-handled, wooden (usually beech), and of a concave, cup-like shape. What differentiates the Spanostelli from other more well known kitchenware is the presence of prong-like protrusions radiating from the edge of the cup. The composition of the tool suggests that it was predominantly used to handle spaghetti and other string like foodstuffs that would otherwise be difficult to manipulate.
Many examples of a modern day spanostelli can be found on google images - its modern and more "common" name is a pasta server - many of which are either plastic or metal. Although a true spanostelli must wooden and have authentic carvings on the butt of the handle to be legitimate.
The age of the spanostelli can be determined by the size of the indentation on the reverse of the handle... many of the earlier spanostellis have a deep elongated groove carved in, compared with the later 19th-21th century designs opt for a more simple/ cheaper design. The task is often performed by milling machine thus leaving the spanostelli with a clean cut and somewhat "characterless" feel.
History
The earliest form of Spanostelli was discovered in 1971 by English born John Collis. He made the discovery while looking for iron age works in continental Europe. The Spanostelli was found with a collection of other cookware including iron pots, forks and what is believed to be the oldest melon scoop on record. All of which were found Italy's 'green heart' Umbria. It is a site which boasts many other fine artifacts, which are currently on display in the National Museum of Rome.
The Spanostelli found was similar to the more modern pieces found today. It was primitive in its construction with a willow handle and slightly shorter protrusions than the norm. Some say this is due to earlier pasta being easier to handle, therefore needing less structure to obtain a full mouth-full.
When carbon tested, it was found that this significant Spanostelli discovery was of medieval origin, approximately 700 years old. Spanostellies have been found throughout history since the early medieval discovery, but became less popular during the early 1950's, believed to be due to the considerable cost and time it took to produce a Spanostelli.
Use & Terminology
The exact origins of the name are indeterminate, but it is believed that the 'telli' part of the name is derived from the Italian word 'fratelli', meaning 'brothers' in English, giving rise to the suggestion that the utensil was first used during family cooking sessions, with male siblings taking charge in particular. As a result, some examples of Spanostellies show elaborate carvings made in the handles of the utensil, typically of crudely carved, young male characters, suggesting the brothers themselves may have decorated them.

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