Artwork Page for Snuff Spoon/Comb (intshengula or izintshengula)

Details / Information for Snuff Spoon/Comb (intshengula or izintshengula)

Snuff Spoon/Comb (intshengula or izintshengula)

late 1800s
Medium
Bone
Measurements
Overall: 15.2 cm (6 in.)
Public Domain
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Such spoons were typically worn as ornaments in the hair or even the beard, signaling the social standing of their wearer.

Description

Often, snuff spoons made from the rib of an ox or cow were subtly carved to suggest a female body. Decorated with incised designs blackened with cattle fat and ash, many are true hybrid objects, combining a spoon with a long-tined comb or hairpin. Such spoons were typically worn as ornaments in the hair or even the beard, thus signaling the social standing of their wearer.
A bone sculpture consists of a shallow oval bowl that tapers into a slender, curved neck detailed with a cross-hatched texture. This neck widens into a flat section before splitting into three long, thin prongs extending to sharp points at our right. The off-white material, marked with subtle brown speckles, possesses a smooth, polished finish. The glint of light highlights the contrast between the textured neck and the smooth, functional prongs.

Snuff Spoon/Comb (intshengula or izintshengula)

late 1800s

Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Zulu-style maker

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