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Dimitri André

Ethnic group:  Dan / Yacouba 
Country of origin:  Liberia.  
Collection area: Liberia, Monrovia.  
Estimated age:  1970 
Main material: wood.  
Condition: used 
State of preservation: in its glaze.  
Provenance:  Private Belgian collection.  
Height, in cm:  56 x 14 cm. 
Weight, in grams:  0.813 grams.  

Since the traditional meal is eaten with the fingers, these spoons, which are very often decorated, have another function than preparing meals or eating meals.  

In Ivory Coast, these richly decorated and carved spoons were used for village festivities in which a woman was designated for her hospitality and for her generosity.  

It is this woman that the village chief asked to organize meals of ceremonies,  which often have numerous participants.  

The Wakemia is the emblem of her merit and materialises the gratitude of the villagers. 

She will use it to distribute rice and meat, and she brandishes it during the “dance of the hospitable woman”.  

This is its use, such as described in the book “Objets Africains” of Laure Meyer.  Afterwards, comes the symbolic around the feeding theme, the belly of a child, breasts full of milk, are used as a framework with multiple and diverse explanations.  

Among the DAN, we can distinguish three types of spoons:  

The Mia Na (little spoon), used to feed the elder.  It is small, easy to handle and enables to eat loudly.  The small spoon, oval, measures from 5 to 8 cm. Their owners keep them with care and give them affectionate nicknames such as “I will not blame you if I do not have enough to eat” or “I will leave you behind with my children”...  
The Ya Bo Sie Mia (cooked rice to share fire spoon) is the spoon to cook of the Ko Dey (the first wife).  They are wooden spoons of about 35 cm long, with a manageable handle which ends in a triangle, a ring or in a simple shape.  
Finally, the Wa Ke Mia (festivity acting spoon) which symbolic was mentioned above, are the spoons of the Wunkirle or the Wakede, which means the hospitable woman.  They measure between 40 and 70 cm. 
In the case of the Wa Ke Mia, the spoons are often inhabited by a spirit.  The Wunkirle, in order to prepare successfully the big meals for diverse festivities or circumcision rites, needs the help of a spirit to carry out her task.  Therefore, it is completely natural for the spoon to have a “life”, having the ability to hide or to flee if an unusual event occurs.  

The most important festivity for the Wunkirle is the “feast of cows”.  On this occasion, women appear on the scene brandishing their Wa Ke Mia.  Dressed in men’s clothing, they dance and show that they are the masters of the festivity.  In their hands, the spoons are filled with rice grains and little coins.  They are accompanied by the Kumane (assistant), who by her song of praise encourages them to be generous.

Estimated age:  1970 - Nice condition

Ceremonial Wakemia Spoon - Wunkirle - DAN - Ivory Coast

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Ceremonial Wakemia Spoon - Wunkirle - DAN - Ivory Coast

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