Ladle Item Number: A8110 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Cow horn ladle with deep, scoop-shaped bowl and a flared flat handle. Ladle is a yellowish brown colour with dark brown streaks along the edges of the bowl.

History Of Use

Along the Northwest Coast, in general, undecorated spoons of wood and horn were used in everyday life, while more elaborately carved versions were used on special occassions. Horn spoons were often passed down in families as heirlooms, such spoons are generally darker in colour than those of recent manufacture. The bowls of these spoons are too large to place in the mouth, so food is sipped from the sides or the end.

Cultural Context

household utensil; domestic

Specific Techniques

Niblack notes that: "The bowl [of the horn spoon] comes from the largest part; the handle runs the full length to the tip, and afterwards is straightened out by steaming in a wooden mould made in two pieces, and scored out inside to the required shape (1970:318)."