Adangbe Bone Spoon Fetish, Based

A spoon with a figure for a handle, bound at the waist and holding something close.

This spoon fetish is Adangbe, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is carved wood, pigment and bone. In coastal Ghana and nearby regions, carved figures and implements were generally made to hold spiritual power. Here a standing figure with a pointed, angular head and narrow carved features rises from the back of a deep oval bowl. A cord is tied around its torso, and a small round object is bound at its side. It is mounted on a stand and is 4.25 inches wide, 5.25 deep and 15.75 high.

It stands at the end of a spoon with remarkable composure.