Description:

Native American, Pacific Northwest Coast, possibly Haida, ca. 19th century CE. Skillfully carved from polished black mountain goat horn with iridescent abalone shell eye inlays, a fascinating spoon depicting five animal heads along the handle above the circular scoop. Four of the five animals face forward, and the final head at the end of the handle faces backward. In a similar manner to totem poles, spoons like this are meant to be read, and their meaning is generally interpreted from the bottom up. Size: 6.5" L (16.5 cm); 5.125" H (13 cm) on included custom stand.

Carved Horn spoons are generally regarded as powerful and intimate possessions by the peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Carved spoons traditionally depict zoomorphic and/or anthropomorphic characters, ancestral and supernatural beings, as well as nature scenes. Intricately carved handles, like the one featured in this example, tell passed down stories through their iconography, which is meant to be visually read just like totem pole imagery.

For further reading about Pacific Northwest carved Mountain Goat horn spoons, see "The Native American Heritage" catalogue by Evan M. Maurer (The Art Institute of Chicago, 1977) pp. 292-293.

Provenance: private collection of Dr. Evan Maurer, a former Curator of the Minneapolis Art Institute (USA)

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#132087

  • Condition: Chips to rim of the head/scoop of the spoon, tip and top of nose/beak of topmost animal at end of handle, tip of snout of third animal head from the bottom. One eye inlay of the third animal head from the bottom is missing; others are all present.

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April 5, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

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