![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXw5jSoXdEWgIq5Wnw80Ei2HLgkhSIv3HTbuNRxDKgbDBQ44UiQcoQyCcWlFxctzHDgMcBCK8Z-sCVRIVHv9ASQbdL1eSZm_uN4rQOFWq4vky60IUDrVEWIbEXLRdDnr1WKd4XQ/s320/mote+spoon.jpg)
A reader's comment about teapot spouts got me to thinking how one could clean tea leaves out of the spout. Voilà! Enter the mote [as in speck] spoon, a pierced bowl, long pointed handled spoon that not only removes stray leaves in the cup of tea, but can also clear a clog of leaves in a narrow spout. It will be replaced by Victorian tea strainers used to pour through and with its own little cup stand to keep a tea table or tray tidy.
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