Dan Collection of 5 Spoons, Based

Five slender paddle-shaped blades stand in a row on a flat steel base.

This collection of five wooden spoons is Dan, from Liberia, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is wood. The Dan people of Liberia and neighboring Cote d'Ivoire are known for their carved wooden masks and for large ceremonial spoons associated with hospitality and generosity. Group of long, dark, hand-shaped utensils with oval and spoon-like heads, set upright and fanning slightly outward. Each handle tapers and varies in curve and thickness. They stand on a thin flat plate, and the finish is deep brown-black. It is 17.75 inches wide, 5 deep and 19 high.

A small orchestra waiting for its conductor to find them.