Mongo Wood Spoon, Democratic Republic of Congo

Slim and long, with a small binding where the handle meets the bowl, as if somebody once had a repair to make.

This spoon is Mongo, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is wood. Wooden spoons in the region are often carved large and used for serving from communal pots, their surfaces darkened by long use. The bowl here is long and tapering, shallow at the tip and deeper near the handle. A thin band wraps the neck of the short handle. The wood has a smooth, dark patina with faint lighter areas inside. It is 7 inches wide, 3 deep and 21 high.

A spoon that has clearly been at many dinners.