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This information was automatically generated from data provided by MOA: University of British Columbia. It has been standardized to aid in finding and grouping information within the RRN. Accuracy and meaning should be verified from the Data Source tab.

Description

Horn spoon with elongated bowl which curves upwards to become the handle. The tip of the horn has been bent downwards creating a finial for the handle. The bowl of the spoon is an opaque yellowish-brown colour with dark brown striations. The handle is dark brown. The exterior of the spoon has a rough texture.

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 occasions. 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)."

Item History

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