Tribe: Northwest Coast, Tlingit

Date: Early to Mid 19th Century

Materials: Mountain sheep horn

Dimensions: L. 20 1/2" x W. 6 1/4" x D. 3"

Condition: Overall excellent, period brass 'staple' repair. No restoration.

Comments: This is a massive ladle ingeniously formed from a curved mountain sheep horn. The horn would be softened by boiling and molded in a form. The carved totemic images depict personal clan associations. The form lined carved head of an open beaked eagle is surmounted by a crouched human figure with a stylized headdress. The bowl is of considerable volume with a concave rim to accommodate expansion and contraction.

Collection History: Collected by Colonel C.E.S. Wood

References:

Published and Illustrated: The Century Magazine - 1882

Exhibited: The Golden Gate International Exposition - 1939

Featured on The Antiques Roadshow - San Jose, CA. 2009.