Artist: Unknown Title: Spoon Date: between the 16th-19th century Location: Sierra Leone Material: Ivory Dimensions: ¾ x 1 11/16 x 8 ⅞ in. (1.9 x 4.3 x 22.6 cm) Rights/Image Permissions: Public Domain. Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1979.206.116
This ivory spoon was created by an unknown Sapi artist. Sapi was a name used by Portuguese traders and sailors to describe the people that lived along the coast of Sierra Leone, a country on the southwestern coast of Africa bordered by Guinea and Liberia. Scholars believe this spoon was created in 16th century for a Portuguese sailor as a souvenir or gift. During this time the Portuguese dominated global trade, with ports all over the world, including India, Brazil, and Sierra Leone. This would explain why there were Portuguese sailors in Sierra Leone at the time this spoon was carved.
The Sapi ivory spoon is not all that dissimilar to modern spoons. The spoon is carved out of a single section of ivory. The eating end of the spoon takes the shape of an oblong, shallow bowl shape with a small neck that connects the bowl of the spoon to its handle. The middle of the handle is composed of a small, simple carving of a Sapi person. The figure is carved and with distinct facial features but a simplified body with no arms. Approximately halfway down the handle the body ends at the feet and the handle continues down with a very simple symmetrical design. Similar symmetrical design, facial features, clothing styles are often seen in other works from this time. Examples of these styles could be seen in other ivory spoons or lidded saltcellars such as the Bini-Portuguese Ivory Salt Cellar from the same time period.
Sources: Ezra, Kate. African Ivories. New York, NY: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1984. Ross, Emma George. “The Portuguese in Africa, 1415-1600.” Metmuseum.org, October 2002. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/agex/hd_agex.htm. “SAPI - Art & Life in Africa - The University of Iowa Museum of Art.” Art & Life in Africa - The University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art. Accessed February 6, 2022. https:// africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Sapi. “Sierra Leone Maps.” Sierra Leone maps - Perry-Castañeda Map Collection - UT Library Online. Accessed February 7, 2022. https://maps.lib.utexas.edu/maps/sierra_leone.html. Spoon. Metmuseum.org. Accessed February 5, 2022. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/ collection/search/312331. Wikipedia entry can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapi-Portuguese_Ivory_Spoon
Author Bio: Valerie is a senior at Concordia College Moorhead. She is studying Psychology with hopes to become an Art Therapist in the near future. She is a member of the softball team on campus so she spends most of her free time with her teammates. She loves to travel and spend time with family when not on campus.