This is a spoon made from molded horn—likely from mountain sheep horn. The spoon’s bowl is elongated and ovoid in shape. Two small indentations cut from the horn divide the bowl from the handle. The handle bends upward and tappers. The end of the handle has been wrapped in silver. Beginning in a quarter of the way up the handle, a serrated triangular piece of silver extends from the principal silver wrap. Comprising of the remainder of the handle, the silver is decorated with abstract, biomorphic geometric shapes. The handle comes to a flat edge marked with four linear stripes.

There are 3 other images of this object. See our image rights statement.

Object Timeline

-0001	We photographed this object.
1940	Work on this object ended.
1982	We acquired this object.
2015	We photographed this object.
2018	We photographed this object.
2019	We photographed this object. We exhibited this object.
2024	You found it!

Spoon

This is a spoon. It is dated 19th–20th century and we acquired it in 1982. Its medium is shaped horn with applied engraved sheet silver. It is a part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts department.

Indigenous peoples of the American Northwest Coast used this type of spoon to serve food at spiritual ceremonies, at once sustaining themselves and their ancestors.To make such spoons, sheep or mountain goat horn was steamed to soften the material, then split, put into a mold and cooled to let it harden into its new shape. Some handles were carved, or embellished with abalone shell or metals, the imagery depicting ancestral and supernatural beings.

This object was bequest of Ruth Vollmer. It is credited Bequest of Ruth Vollmer.

Its dimensions are

H x W x D: 21.2 × 5 × 4.8 cm (8 3/8 × 1 15/16 × 1 7/8 in.)

Cite this object as

Spoon; shaped horn with applied engraved sheet silver; H x W x D: 21.2 × 5 × 4.8 cm (8 3/8 × 1 15/16 × 1 7/8 in.); Bequest of Ruth Vollmer; 1982-26-2

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Plastics.

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/2Emxx/
Accession Number 1982-26-2
Object ID 18799861