Spoon Item Number: A8108 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Mountain sheep horn spoon with elongated bowl and short up-turned handle with squared end. The recessed area of the bowl is pear-shaped. Spoon is a translucent yellowish-brown colour with dark brown edges and handle. The exterior 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 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

Bill Holm notes that: "The horn spoon whether from the massive, spiral horn of the mountain sheep or the slim, black, dagger-like horn of the mountain goat, is cut from the partially hollow curved material and brought to its final form by spreading the bowl and bending the handle (1987:90)." While Philip Drucker notes that: "horn of both mountain sheep and mountain goat was used for various purposes, after being softened in boiling water to permit shaping and molding (1955:51)."

Item History

What

Name
Spoon
Identification Number
A8108
Type of Item
spoon
Material
mountain sheep horn
Manufacturing Technique
steamed, carved and shaped
Overall
height 5.5 cm, width 16.0 cm, depth 3.0 cm

Who

Culture
Coast Salish: Saanich
Previous Owner
Mrs. Bartleman and Edith Bevan Cross
Received from
Edith Bevan Cross (Seller) and H. R. MacMillan (Funding source)

Where

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

When

Collection Date
between 1950 and 1962
Ownership Date
before July 30, 1962
Acquisition Date
on July 30, 1962

Other

Condition
fair
Current Location
Case 7
Accession Number
0081/0027 a