Spoon Topped with Bovine (Iri Ganä)
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Object Label
The Guro carve small eating spoons, or iri gane, for use as prestige objects. They indicate the owner's wealth and sophistication, since only a rich man can afford to commission such spoons. The animal most frequently carved at the end of the handle is the forest buffalo, a fearful and powerful being in Guro mythology. The owner seeks to identify himself with the animal, thereby enhancing his status in society.
Caption
Guro. Spoon Topped with Bovine (Iri Ganä), 20th century. Wood, 7 x 2 1/4 x 2 1/8 in. (17.8 x 5.7 x 5.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Dorothy Robbins, 1993.180.9. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1993.180.9_PS9.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Spoon Topped with Bovine (Iri Ganä)
Date
20th century
Geography
Possible place made: Haut Sassandra Region, Côte d'Ivoire, Place made: Marahoué Region, Côte d'Ivoire
Medium
Wood
Classification
Dimensions
7 x 2 1/4 x 2 1/8 in. (17.8 x 5.7 x 5.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Dorothy Robbins
Accession Number
1993.180.9
Rights
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.
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