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Source 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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
168482
label
Snuff Spoon (intshengula or izintshengula)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
168482
contentType
object
title
Snuff Spoon (intshengula or izintshengula)
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.
date
late 1800s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60752051
genreSpecific
Tools and Equipment
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 17.8 cm (7 in.)
cul
Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Zulu-style maker
accession
2010.234
Source extras
tec
bone
tombstone
Snuff Spoon (intshengula or izintshengula), late 1800s. Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Zulu-style maker. Bone; overall: 17.8 cm (7 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Dori and Daniel Rootenberg, Jacaranda Tribal, New York, 2010.234
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
Such spoons were typically worn as ornaments in the hair or even the beard, signaling the social standing of their wearer.
creditline
Gift of Dori and Daniel Rootenberg, Jacaranda Tribal, New York
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:39:54.556000
sourceId
168482
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
bone
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
c83a2b12f7a4875e