[Sca-cooks] Nef revisited

[Olwen the Odd]

> >This list has in the past occasionally discussed the origin
> >and meaning of the word 'nef'.
> >
> >
> >I was looking through Larousse Gastronomique (the 1961 English
> >translation) and tripped across the word 'nef' on page 95.
> >
> >It's out of period, referring to the luncheon meals of Louis XIV,
> >but is still interesting.
> >
> >Here's the quote:
> >
> >"Then followed a gentleman-in-waiting, the general controller
> >of the household, and other gentlemen of less exalted rank,
> >preceding the clerks of the kitchen carrying plates, the _nef_,
> >or a basket in which knives, spoons, forks, toothpicks, salt,
> >ginger, pepper, saffron and all the oriental spices were kept."
> >
> >There's another mention on the next page:
> >
> >"While one of the ushers went to announce to the king the arrival
> >of his meal, the Lord Steward bowed to the _nef_ (the cutlery
> >basket) which had been placed on the table, then took the napkins
> >out of it which a gentleman-in-waiting received between two gold
> >plates."
> >
> >There's a further mention on page 97 in connection with Louis XV.
> >
>
>
>Nef is an old term for a type of boat, originally referring a largish sort 
>of Knarr or "Halfskip" (which was a double ended sort of canoe shape, about 
>2.5 to 3 times as long as wide, and used by Northern European travellers 
>and traders for exploration adn cargo).
>
>"Nef" as a term seems to have been used mostly in the French contexts, so 
>it is quite likely that this usage originally referred in some way to the 
>shape of the basket.
>It was probably a pointed oval or boat shape, deep and wide,  narrowing at 
>the ends.
>
>There is also an eccelsiastical boat shaped incense burner that was also 
>called a Nef.
>
>Brandu
>(AKA-SCA) Capt. Elias Gedney

I thought a nef was also a boat shaped salt server.
Olwen

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