Ceremonial Spoon

This ceremonial spoon illustrates, in miniature form, much of the same iconographic complexity as a totem, the best-known form of Northwest Coast art; both meticulously relate the history and legends of the peoples who made them. An object of great importance and prestige, it was not for everyday use (this role was fulfilled by spoons made of red cedar, red alder or hemlock, largely undecorated).

Complex ceremonial spoons, like the present example, were used for koo.éex (a ceremony commonly known as potlatch). They were filled with berries, apples or fat and passed between the hands of the guests.

Most were made for the noble families who occupied the upper strata of the hierarchical societies of the Northwest Coast, while some were undoubtedly used by shamans, who were subject to certain prohibitions and taboos. Interpreting the motifs and emblems on these objects is complex; although some characters can be identified, their full meaning was perhaps only understood by the people who made them.

This type of spoon was traditionally made from two pieces of mountain goat horn riveted together with copper nails. They were shaped, boiled and opened to form the bowl on the lower part, then carved into the shape of a small totem without altering their original curve or diameter. They were bartered between the Haida, Tlingit and Tshimshian.

Price: €4,800