Mambila Spoon

An age-old custom practiced by several African tribes is the giving of a special gift to a male or female member who has shown excellence while performing a specific duty or chore. The Mambila of Nigeria or the “Nor” as they call themselves partake in this tradition. Labor is divided among the men and women and children start working at the age of twelve. A society of mutual assistance the “kurum” participates in the clearing of land, harvesting, building houses and overseeing celebrations and dances. The men are in charge of weaving, metal and wood - working. The women have many chores that include the revered child rearing duty and cooking details. While most honors will normally go to the males of the village there is one award that is highly valued by the women and well respected by the men. That is the award for best hostess so to speak. The female winner of a tribal spoon has proven to be the best cook in the village with her dishes bringing the most pleasure to the chief and society leaders during festivities. The task of creation is given to a dedicated and noted artisan. Tribal pride dictates the styling with a classic Mambila triangular faced figure topping the piece. The mid section of the spoon consists of a wonderful spiraling design which lowers down to the spoon tipped end. Due to aging there are a few normal age cracks none of which depletes the beauty or value of the object.

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Dimensions: 21 inches tall.

Wt: 9 lbs shipping