Skip Navigation

Collection Menu
Boa. <em>Spoon (Kalukili)</em>, 19th century. Ivory, 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1223. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 22.1223_view1_PS6.jpg)
Boa. Spoon (Kalukili), 19th century. Ivory, 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1223. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 22.1223_view1_PS6.jpg)
Boa. <em>Spoon (Kalukili)</em>, 19th century. Ivory, 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1223. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 22.1223_view1_PS6.jpg)

Boa. Spoon (Kalukili), 19th century. Ivory, 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1223. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 22.1223_view1_PS6.jpg)

Boa. <em>Spoon (Kalukili)</em>, 19th century. Ivory, 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1223. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 22.1223_view2_PS6.jpg)

Boa. Spoon (Kalukili), 19th century. Ivory, 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1223. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 22.1223_view2_PS6.jpg)

Boa. <em>Spoon (Kalukili)</em>, 19th century. Ivory, 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1223. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.22.1223_print_threequarter_bw.jpg)

Boa. Spoon (Kalukili), 19th century. Ivory, 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1223. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.22.1223_print_threequarter_bw.jpg)

Boa. <em>Spoon (Kalukili)</em>, 19th century. Ivory, 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1223. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 22.1223_bw.jpg)

Boa. Spoon (Kalukili), 19th century. Ivory, 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1223. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 22.1223_bw.jpg)

Boa. <em>Spoon (Kalukili)</em>, 19th century. Ivory, 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1223. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.22.1223_print_top_bw.jpg)

Boa. Spoon (Kalukili), 19th century. Ivory, 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1223. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.22.1223_print_top_bw.jpg)

DOWNLOAD

Spoon (Kalukili)

Arts of Africa

The Boa and their neighbors, the Lega, carve spoons of elephant ivory and bone. Among the Lega, these are not used for eating but as emblems of the two highest levels of the Bwami society. They are also used symbolically to “feed” masked dancers of the Bwami during performances. (To learn more about Bwami, see the case with three hats to the left.)
CULTURES Boa or Lega
MEDIUM Ivory
  • Place Made: Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • DATES 19th century
    DIMENSIONS 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm)  (show scale)
    COLLECTIONS Arts of Africa
    ACCESSION NUMBER 22.1223
    CREDIT LINE Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund
    CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Spoon with deep oval bowl and short handle that has two wide curved supports joined at the top by a triangular bridge. Handle side of bowl is pointed. Ivory has a warm golden patina.
    EXHIBITIONS
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
    CAPTION Boa. Spoon (Kalukili), 19th century. Ivory, 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1223. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 22.1223_view1_PS6.jpg)
    IMAGE overall, 22.1223_view1_PS6.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2011
    "CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
    You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
    RECORD COMPLETENESS
    Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.
    Boa. <em>Spoon (Kalukili)</em>, 19th century. Ivory, 6 3/4 x 2 3/16 in. (17.1 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1223. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 22.1223_view1_PS6.jpg)

    RELATED OBJECTS

    Hammerstone Olla or Jar Carved Figure (Bulto) of Saint Joseph Lamp Bowl Pail with Handle Cream Pitcher or Creamer The Flight into Egypt Bottle, Figure of Seated Old Man Pair of Stirrups of the Crown Type Pizarro Commemorative Plate Doorstop, Poodle Burial Urn with Male Effigy Figure Tray or Waiter Scrimshaw, Whales Tooth Scrimshaw, Whales Tooth Crucifix Tray Cane Medallion Standing Female Figure (Buti) Single Head Goblet (Mbwoongntey) Palm Wine Cup (Mbwoongntey) Headrest Ceremonial seat (ngundja) Ceremonial Staff (Kibango) Ceremonial Staff (Kibango) Ceremonial Staff (Kibango) Ceremonial Staff (Kibango) Mask (Nganga Diphomba) Mask for the Okuyi Society (Mukudj) Mask (Pwoom Itok) Stool Three-Headed Figure (Sakimatwemtwe) Hair Ornament Hair Ornament Hair Ornament Raffia Band Headrest Hairpin Bracelet Spoon (Kalukili) Cylindrical Tube Amulet Bodkin Undecorated Bracelet, One of Pair Male Statuette Bracelet Flat Maskette (Lukungu) Standing Figure with Punctuations Figurine Individally Held by a Kindi (Maginga) Mask with Feathers (Lukungu) Figure of an Animal (Mugugundu); Antelope (Lungaga) or Billy-goat (Kilimba) Mask Bwami Hat for Lutumbo lwa Yananio Level Spoon Bwami Hat for Kindi Level Figure of Female (Iginga)