Fragment of Spoon in Form of Lotus

ca. 1539–1292 B.C.E.

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Object Label

Spoons

Elaborate burials often included offerings of spoons with decorated bowls and handles, though their purpose is uncertain.


Early Egyptologists proposed that the spoons were used to remove solid ointments from wide-necked jars. Although many scholars still favor this traditional interpretation, others believe the spoons were cultic objects used in religious ceremonies. They probably served both functions: spoons decorated with images of birth-gods seem appropriate for domestic use; those with symbols of rebirth, such as the lotus, were probably intended for rituals.

Caption

Fragment of Spoon in Form of Lotus, ca. 1539–1292 B.C.E.. Wood, 2 3/4 × 5 1/2 in. (7 × 14 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.606E. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Title

Fragment of Spoon in Form of Lotus

Date

ca. 1539–1292 B.C.E.

Dynasty

Dynasty 18

Period

New Kingdom

Geography

Possible place made: Saqqara, Egypt

Medium

Wood

Classification

Food/Drink

Dimensions

2 3/4 × 5 1/2 in. (7 × 14 cm)

Credit Line

Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund

Accession Number

37.606E

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