Spoon
Uiluq - “spoon”
18 cm long (total) x 5.85 cm wide (bowl) x 2 cm wide (handle) x 0.15-0.5 cm thick
Carved bone
Calitmiut ("Chalitmut"), Yukon & Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska (Yup’ik), c. 1874
Collector: E. W. Nelson
Museum ID number: NEL.C1.t.0054
Spoons and ladles were used in every home for cooking, serving, and eating meals. Most spoons were made from wood, but antler, bone, and horn were also used. Wooden spoons were often painted to prevent cracking, but bone spoons, like this one, were often left plain. The triangle carved out of the handle was likely for decoration and/or to thread a cord through for hanging.