The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 24, 2025

Pakko (Ifugao wooden ladle)

c. 1920–30

Indonesia, Philippines, Luzon, Igorot people, 20th century

wood
Overall: 31.7 cm (12 1/2 in.)
Gift of Mrs. Malcolm L. McBride 1946.422
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

This type of spoon was used more for serving, like a ladle, than for eating.

Description

The two bands of incised woodwork suggest that this spoon was made in the Hapao region of Ifugao. People of the Cordillera highlands of northern Luzon, especially the Ifugao and Bontoc areas, expressed ancestral veneration and social prestige through the incorporation of anthropomorphic motifs into utilitarian objects. They served as status symbols at rituals, ceremonies, and feasts.
  • ?–1946
    Mrs. Malcolm L. [Lucia McCurdy] McBride [1880–1970], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1946–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Pakko (Ifugao wooden ladle)|url=false|author=|year=c. 1920–30|access-date=24 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1946.422