Spoon with Lotus Handle
ca. 1539–1292 B.C.E.
1 of 2
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.
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
Spoon with Lotus Handle, ca. 1539–1292 B.C.E.. Wood, 4 11/16 x Diam. 2 3/8 in. (11.9 x 6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 05.314. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Spoon with Lotus Handle
Date
ca. 1539–1292 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 18
Period
New Kingdom
Medium
Wood
Classification
Dimensions
4 11/16 x Diam. 2 3/8 in. (11.9 x 6 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
05.314
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