Spoon Item Number: 3260/44 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Hardwood (maple?) spoon with carved handle in form of a human figure with 4 potlatch rings on his head, sitting atop a small bird. Some areas highlighted with dark paint.

History Of Use

Elaborate spoons of hardwood were carved for use in feasts; already by the mid-1800s many were also made for sale to outsiders. This spoon, perhaps carved of maple, features a human figure sitting atop a small bird; the four potlatch rings on the human’s head likely indicate the host family’s prerogatives and high social rank.

Narrative

Written on the back of the spoon’s bowl is “Haida. Hooper Coll. No. 1264-A.” At some point the spoon was collected and taken to England, where it became part of the James Hooper Collection. Hooper formed his collection mainly in Britain from objects brought back by explorers and traders in the previous century. Following Hooper’s death in 1971, parts of his collection were sold in several auctions (including two similar spoons sold in 1976 that were also attributed to the Haida and had been sent to England in 1865 by George Hills, then a colonial bishop of the Church of England on Vancouver Island.) This spoon was purchased by Elspeth McConnell for eventual donation to MOA.

Item History

What

Name
Spoon
Identification Number
3260/44
Type of Item
spoon
Material
maple wood ? and paint
Overall
height 31.0 cm, width 7.0 cm, depth 7.5 cm

Who

Culture
Haida ? or Tsimshian ?
Previous Owner
Elspeth McConnell
Received from
Elspeth McConnell (Donor)

Where

Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
Made in
British Columbia, Canada

When

Creation Date
between 1850 and 1880
Ownership Date
before August 12, 2017
Acquisition Date
on August 12, 2017

Other

Condition
fair
Accession Number
3260/0044