Mongo Wood Spoon, Republic of Congo

A bowl like a split pod, with a ridge down the middle.

This large wooden spoon was carved in the Republic of Congo in the 20th century. Spoons and ladles were made for serving and for ceremony, and their shapes vary widely across the region. The bowl is long, deep and pointed, with a raised central spine dividing it into two troughs. A short, squared handle extends from the top.

The wood is dark and glossy, wearing to lighter brown along the rims, with a small notch at the tip. Seventeen and a half inches long.

A spoon, and a thought about spoons.