Haida Spoon

Abraham Rosman and Paula Rubel, New York

This ceremonial spoon illustrates, in miniature form, much of the same iconographic complexity as a totem pole, the most widely famous form of Northwest Coast art; both meticulously record the histories and legends of the people who made them. Association with a utilitarian purpose has perhaps diminished the attention paid to these richly complex spoons, which were objects of great importance and prestige. They were not objects of everyday use - that role was served by largely undecorated spoons of red cedar, red alder, or hemlock. Complex ceremonial spoons such as the present example were used at the koo.éex', the ceremony commonly called the potlatch, and they served as important records of significant ceremonies and events. Most were made for the noble families who occupied the top strata of the hierarchical societies of the Northwest Coast, whilst some were doubtlessly used by shamans, or íxt', who were subject to certain prohibitions and taboos. The interpretation of the motifs and emblems on these objects is complex; although some characters can be tentatively identified, their full meaning was perhaps only entirely understood by the people who made them.