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Acquired

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Description

Horn dish with local repairs and face carved at one end. [ZM 14/11/2005]

Longer Description

Horn dish with local repairs and face carved at one end. The scoop is made from a single piece of mountain sheep horn that has been steamed and moulded into shape and then carved. It is deep, though one end widens out, flattens out, and comes to a blunt point. The other end extends upward to form a handle and is carved on the outside with a human face. One one side of the spoon, near the rim, are small perforations on either side of a seam in the grain of the horn. String has been tied through the holes, presumably to keep the horn from splitting. The spoon is dark brown in colour and the grain of the horn is visible. [CAK 19/04/2010]

Research Notes

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 vessel was viewed alongside other horn and wood dishes on Wednesday Sept 9, 2009. Delegates wondered if this would be used to drink out of. Nika Collison wondered about the 'handle' which may have been made short on purpose, or could have been nicely finished after a break. The material was identified as mountain sheep, because it is a wider horn with a thicker grain than mountain goat horn (which is more often found in long, thin, and elaborately carved spoons). Billy Yovanovich commented on the defined chin on the human figure on the handle and thought this was a feature he has seen repeated on other objects. [CAK 19/04/2010]

Although listed as a bowl, the object may be the ladle of a spoon given its general shape, lack of flat bottom and taller, curved end where a handle may be attached. [CAK 05/05/2009]

Primary Documentation

Accession book entry (for 1891.49.62 - .71): 'From Rev. Ch. Harrison, 80 Halton Rd, Canonbury Sq. N. Collection of Haida objects collected by him.... - [1 of] 10 horn dishes. £45. [Purchase price includes 1891.49.1-110] [JC 4 9 1996]

Accession book entry [Red numbers] - Containers other than pottery 104 A - L - (104.I.15) Dish for grease and berries of mountain sheep-horn, similar to the last [i.e. 1891.49.67], but with longer handle longer carved into representation of a man's face - has been mended with string stitching where the growth rings have partially separated. Haida, Queen Charlotte Id. Drawing opposite.

No additional information on catalogue cards. [JC 4 9 1996]

Written on object - [on inside of bowl] 104.I.15; [on outside of bowl] 104.I.15 DISH FOR GREASE AND BERRIES. HAIDA. C. HARRISON COLLN. PURCHASED 1891. [CAK 05/05/2009]

A modern scrap of paper with "4" written in ink has been placed inside the bowl. [CAK 05/05/2009] This has been removed [KJ 07/05/2009]

Related Documents File - The Haida Project Related Documents File contains video of research sessions and interviews with Haida delegates from September 2009 as part of the project ‘Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge'. It also includes post-visit communications that discuss object provenance. For extensive photographic, video, and textual records documenting the Haida research visit as a whole, including but not limited to preparations of objects for handling, travel logistics, British Museum participation, transcribed notes from research sessions and associated public events held at PRM, see the Haida Project Digital Archive, stored with the Accessions Registers. Original hand-written notes taken during research sessions have been accessioned into the Manuscripts collection, in addition to select other materials.[CAK 02/06/2010]