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1951.6.54

Cow-horn ladle, handle carved into humanoid (?bear) figure holding onto the hind flippers or legs of another animal (possibly a seal or a sea wolf). [CAK 01/04/2009]

On display

1951.6.54

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Collection type
Object
Description
Cow-horn ladle, handle carved into humanoid (?bear) figure holding onto the hind flippers or legs of another animal (possibly a seal or a sea wolf). [CAK 01/04/2009]
Long description
Cow-horn ladle, handle carved into humanoid (?bear) figure holding onto the hind flippers or legs of another animal (possibly a seal or a sea wolf). Eyes, ears and flippers inlaid with haliotis shell. [CAK 01/04/2009]
Geographical reference
Canada
Northern America > North America > Canada
British Columbia Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) NW Coast
Cultural groups
Haida
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1951
Date collected
By 1951
Acquisition information
Donated: 1951
Materials and processes
Material Cattle Horn Animal, Process Steamed, Process Moulded, Process Carved, Process Inlaid
Dimensions
Length: max 225 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1951.6.54 Other numbers: WHMM No. 170243.
Research and responses

The following information comes from Haida delegates who worked with the museum’s collection in September 2009 as part of the project “Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge”:

This spoon was viewed alongside other horn and wood spoons on Wednesday Sept 9, 2009. No information about this particular spoon was recorded from delegates. The spoons as a collection elicited a lot of discussion amongst delegates. They discussed whether the different varieties of spoons reflected differences in the owner's rank, or differences in function (i.e. everyday use vs. use at a feast). It was thought that the plain spoons (i.e. those collected by Charles Harrison, 1891.49.50- .51) were for everyday use. Delegates were also interested in the greenish hue of many of the spoons and this was identified as unusual. One delegate offered that, in general, mountain goat horn was used for smaller spoons because they have a narrower shape to their horns. People noted that the shape of a spoon can be altered by heat (i.e. from the soup itself). [CAK 01/06/2010]

Search terms: Food and Drink, Figure, Spoon, Animal Figure, Food Accessory

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