Indian Oil Spoon with Naga Handle

A wide bowl, a ringed neck and a tip shaped like a closed bud.

This brass oil spoon with a naga handle is from Karnataka, South India, and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc that casts well, and fine details such as scales and hoods can be worked into a handle. Structurally, the bowl is broad and deep with a thick rim. A decorated collar of rings and bulges joins it to a long rod, which ends in a pointed leaf form. The surface shows a dull greenish brown tone with scattered light wear. It is 1 inches wide, 0.75 deep and 5.5 high.

Built for a ritual, dressed like a jeweler's afterthought.