Spoon

MOA: University of British Columbia

3051/24

Horn spoon with deeply carved designs on handle. Bowl has incised linear design on top and a crosshatched and carved design on the bottom, near the handle. The bowl had five circular abalone inlay elements (three have fallen out) and the handle has three-dimensional carved designs and abalone inlay (one or two inlay pieces are missing). The tip of the handle is broken.

  • Narrative

    This is one of 1928 spoons from this donation. The spoons had been stored for many decades in two trunks, along with 19 regalia items. The objects had been passed down to Barbara Robertson from her grandfather, who had run a trade store in Hazelton in the early 1900s. Presumably the spoons were traded at the store sometime in the early part of the 20th century by a local family. According to Norman Tait, some families used to own very large sets of spoons like this, that were named, and brought out for use at large feasts.


  • Type of Item spoon
  • Culture Gitxsan
  • Material mountain goat horn, abalone shell
  • Measurements height 8.0 cm, width 5.8 cm, depth 17.5 cm (overall)

  • Previous Owner Barbara Robertson, Alexander C. Robertson
  • Received from Alexander C. Robertson

  • Made in British Columbia
  • Collected in Hazelton

  • Creation Date between 1800 and 1890
  • Ownership Date before December 22, 2010, before February 19, 2014
  • Acquisition Date on February 19, 2014

  • Condition fair
  • Accession Number 3051/0024