A Puzzlement

In a flea market, a long time ago

I came across this spoon

A serving spoon, I thought!

A "pea" spoon, I thought!

For it had holes in it to drain liquid

And a bowl that's perfect for a spoonful of peas!

It once belonged to Karolina Nielsen

(it said so on the back)

But I was puzzled . . . 

Was it or was it not a PEA spoon?

So I inquired at Garden Web

There are a lot of antique experts on that site

After many guesses

(including a sugar sifter -- I didn't think so, but I did try to

sift sugar with it -- the holes are too small)

(Someone else joked that it was a lingonberry server -- the lingonberry liquid would drip out and then you'd just have a nice spoonful of lingonberries)

Someone finally came up with the notion that it was a

"tea" strainer or a "tea" spoon!

(I had 2 of the three letters right --

except it was a T rather than a P)

This afternoon, I decided to use it for

tea

In the breakfast room

with a slice of pumpkin cranberry coffeecake for a nosh

And a book to peruse as I'm looking for a new recipe to bring to a do tomorrow night

It does fit perfectly not the cup

And the holes are big enough for tea to pour through

But not big enough for the leaves to get into the tea!

I'm convinced that that's what Karolina's spoon is --

a tea strainer!

But there is a second puzzlement:

I don't have twins -- the one on the bottom is a tea spoon

(an afternoon tea spoon, a 5 o clock spoon)

I think it is the same design!

And the back markings indicate that it is Swedish

And that it was made in 1907

(two years after the engraved date on the tea strainer)

I got them at different times in different cities.

The small spoons first

(which also are engraved on the back -- with an "LR")

And then the "pea" spoon which turned into a "tea" strainer spoon

I wonder if Karolina had small spoons that matched her strainer?