What are spoon boxes?

The spoon boxes feature in our book are up to one metre high, made of adzed and chip- and relief-carved wood and often painted. They hang near the hearth where the hearth-chain page 56 and steam from the boiled mutton link the house with heaven and the ancestors who are revered. As a residual sacrifice, page 58, the vapou, page 60, connects with animist deities. The great column pages 47, 50, 51 and 53, similarly symbolises the strength of the house and is a microcosmic symbol of separation of heaven and earth.

The ritual meal of boiled mutton in broth with ‘khinkal’ cylindrical sausage-shaped dumplings is accompanied by crushed garlic sauce and crushed walnut sauce, pages 62 and 63. The carved wood spoons have bowls across the half, in contrast to usual spoons which have bowls along the haft, are for eating the dumplings. The ritual meal is traditionally offered to guests who are the recipient of legendary hospitality which includes protection and honorary kinship and which brings honour to the host and his family.

The spoon box’s microcosmic shape often includes a sun sign on the back plank, topped with a sunbird finial. The triple-box section decorated front has carved figures such as warriors, rams, peacocks, arabesques, arches, sun-signs and so on. There are usually shaped feet beneath. It’s easier to look at any of the colour pictures in the book, on pages 64-89.