Cameroonian Fang People Ceremonial Spoon
Collection: Spiritual Connections
Object Category: Religious Items
Object Type: Ritual Object
Country: Cameroon
Continent: Africa
Geographic Region: Middle Africa
Materials: Wood, Plant Material
width: 5.25 in;
height: 12.5 in;
depth: 2.25 in
The Fang people of Cameroon in western Africa carved this spoon. The Fang worshipped their ancestors. To be sure that their ancestors were not left out of any important ceremony, they carved the image of an ancestor on the handle.
Special spoons were carved and used to administer magically sustaining nourishment as part of traditional initiation rites. An individual man’s spoon was a preciously guarded possession that was carried on his person in a shoulder bag when he traveled and was placed on his tomb when he passed away.
Source:
http://www.zyama.com/fang/pics..htm