Ceremonial Spoon
Timor, Eastern Indonesia
19th–early 20th century
Buffalo horn
Provenance: Rodger Dashow collection, Boston
This finely worked ceremonial spoon from Timor is carved from buffalo horn, a material valued for its strength, lustrous surface, and symbolic associations with wealth, vitality, and ritual power. While functional in origin, such spoons often occupied a liminal space between daily use and ceremonial display, particularly within contexts of feasting, hospitality, and status.
The handle is completely covered in carved relief imagery dominated by birds, arranged in dense, rhythmic sequences that animate the entire surface. In Timorese belief systems, birds are potent symbolic creatures—associated with the spirit world, ancestral communication, and the ability to move between earthly and supernatural realms. Their prolific repetition here suggests protection, fertility, and spiritual mediation, while also serving as a visual celebration of abundance and continuity.
Despite this symbolic weight, the carving possesses a distinctly whimsical and playful quality. The birds are rendered with lively curves and exaggerated forms, creating a sense of movement and visual delight as the eye travels along the handle.
The spoon’s bowl is elegantly shaped and carefully proportioned, its smooth interior bearing clear evidence of use. The surface throughout displays a rich, well-worn patina, developed through years of handling and contact, which has softened the horn to a deep, satiny sheen. Subtle variations in tone and texture further enhance the tactile appeal of the object.
At once sculptural and intimate, this Timorese spoon exemplifies the transformation of a utilitarian object into a work of art—one in which symbolic imagery, skilled craftsmanship, and lived experience are inseparably joined.
Size
Height: 10 ½ in / 26.7 cm
Item
IN 1-9-26 / Price: $800
Gallery
Ceremonial Spoon
Timor, Eastern Indonesia
19th–early 20th century
Buffalo horn
Provenance: Rodger Dashow collection, Boston
This finely worked ceremonial spoon from Timor is carved from buffalo horn, a material valued for its strength, lustrous surface, and symbolic associations with wealth, vitality, and ritual power. While functional in origin, such spoons often occupied a liminal space between daily use and ceremonial display, particularly within contexts of feasting, hospitality, and status.
The handle is completely covered in carved relief imagery dominated by birds, arranged in dense, rhythmic sequences that animate the entire surface. In Timorese belief systems, birds are potent symbolic creatures—associated with the spirit world, ancestral communication, and the ability to move between earthly and supernatural realms. Their prolific repetition here suggests protection, fertility, and spiritual mediation, while also serving as a visual celebration of abundance and continuity.
Despite this symbolic weight, the carving possesses a distinctly whimsical and playful quality. The birds are rendered with lively curves and exaggerated forms, creating a sense of movement and visual delight as the eye travels along the handle.
The spoon’s bowl is elegantly shaped and carefully proportioned, its smooth interior bearing clear evidence of use. The surface throughout displays a rich, well-worn patina, developed through years of handling and contact, which has softened the horn to a deep, satiny sheen. Subtle variations in tone and texture further enhance the tactile appeal of the object.
At once sculptural and intimate, this Timorese spoon exemplifies the transformation of a utilitarian object into a work of art—one in which symbolic imagery, skilled craftsmanship, and lived experience are inseparably joined.
Size
Height: 10 ½ in / 26.7 cm
Item
IN 1-9-26 / Price: $800
Gallery