Ivory coast. Wood. 39 cm. In 1926, the young Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) reinterpreted the Dan equation between a woman's womb and the bowl of a spoon in his sculpture 'Spoon Woman' (Femme Cuillère). Like many artists of his generation, he was familiar with and admired the bold reinterpretations of the human body imagined and expressed by artists from West and Central Africa that had begun to fill the Parisian artist's ateliers during the first decade of the 20th century. In this life-size bronze sculpture, considered among his earliest mature works, the artist uses the premise established by Dan carvers as a point of departure, but pushes the form further towards geometric abstraction. Among the Dan, the Wunkirmian have been assigned a role among women that is comparable to that which masks serve among the men. As are masks, each Wunkirmian is given an individual name. When a new Spoon is carved to replace an old one, sacrifices are made to empower it. In many instances, Wunkirmians are featured in the same ceremonies with masks, tossing rice in front of them as a blessing while they proceed through the village. (VJ) A similar spoon in the collection of the Metropolitan Accession Number: 1979.206.264. Yaelle Biro, 2016.

Provenance:
Private collection Borro, Brussels;
Private Austrian collection.

Published:
Arts d'Afrique 99, Paris 1996, cover piece.

Cf.:
Fischer, E. and H. Himmelheber, 1991, 'Spoons of the Dan (Liberia/Ivory Coast) Looking-Serving-Eating-Emblems of Abundance'. Homberger, L., ed. Zurich: Museum Rietberg.