Ivory Coast

Wood
69 cm

Provenance:
Private collection, France
Christie's Paris, Arts d'Afrique, d'Océanie et d'Amérique du Nord, 2 3 June 2015, lot 6
Private collection, London

Impressive ceremonial Dan spoon, called Mèvuochlümia, meaning literally “ladle with a human face”. The female head that shapes the handle of the spoon presented here is topped with an elaborate hairdo further adorned with rattan braids. Big ceremonial spoons are generally called wake mia or wunkirmian, meaning "spoon associated with feasts”. They were given to elder women, called wa ke de, who were in charge of feasts. It was a title of high distinction given to the one who excelled in all the skills needed to cater for a big feast. More than just a status symbol, the wunkirmian also has a spiritual power, connecting the wa ke de with the spiritual world, in a way masks do for men. The ample shape of the spoon can be seen as a symbol of the womb, for womanhood in general, and as such, as a source of food and life.