Everyday objects decorated with figurative elements are rarely found in Madagascar. Spoons with a handle consisting of a carved figure, such as the one here, are exceptional. This item dates to the end of the 19th century and comes from south-west Madagascar, where the Masikoro people live. The intricacy of the handle clearly demonstrates that the spoon was not primarily intended to be used for food. In fact, it has a symbolic function that can be understood from its details. Note the amulet around the neck. It indicates a ritual purpose. Did you spot the two crocodile teeth?

These are also significant because the crocodile is linked to royalty and to the ancestors. All these elements, along with the quality of workmanship of the carving, reveal that it would have been part of the ceremonial material belonging to a high-ranking individual. In fact, this spoon is said to have been taken from the cabin of Masikoro chief Rebiby, the son of King Tompoemana. A manuscript archive dates this incident to 1897, following the attack on the royal residence by a French military expedition. Just two years later, the spoon entered the collections of the Musée d’Ethnographie du Trocadéro thanks to Eugène Bastard, a French naturalist and explorer who had been on mission to Madagascar.