Spoon With Anthropomorphic Figure - Ifugoa Culture, Philippines At The End Of The 19th Century

ANTHROPOMORPHIC CHARACTER SPOON Ifugoa Culture, Philippines End of XIXth - beginning of XXth century Wood H.: 19.5; W.: 5 cm Monoxyl wooden spoon with shiny patina. The oval spoon supports a handle depicting an anthropomorphic figure in the round. He is standing, his legs are individualized, his knees slightly bent, his arms brought back to the abdomen and his sex signified. The minimalist face is sculpted with a slender nose, two eye cups and a small protrusion at the top of the head. These spoons were used daily to eat rice and soup. The variation in patina between the handle and the spoon bears witness to this. Objects handed down from generation to generation, they would very probably represent ancestors or figures of deities. Text and photos © FCP CORIDON