Spoon · D. R. Congo, Lega · ID: 3042062
sold
EUR 5,200
Provenance
Pierre Dartevelle, Brussels, BelgiumSize
H: 16 cm
H: 6.3 inch
Description
bone, flat ladle, thorn-like projections on both sides of the handle, min. dam., small missing parts (handle), slight traces of usage, base;
spoons seem to emphasize continuity, perhaps through reference to feeding and growth. Older men who are high-level members of “bwami” eat with an ivory spoon, reminding those watching of their status and value to the community. Spoons are also used in circumcision rites. Men place an ivory spoon in the mouth of a young boy for him to bite on during his circumcision.
Comparing literature
Winizki, Ernst, Afrikanische Löffel, Zürich 1990, ill. 66