Petersburg Pilot -

Sheep Horn Spoons

The Tlingit fashion spoons for utilitarian uses, such as the ones pictured here, as well as ornate and intricately carved spoons and ladles that are used for ceremonial purposes.

Both utilitarian and ceremonial spoons require a high level of skill and intimate knowledge of the medium being manipulated. These spoons are made from the horns of sheep harvested in the Stikine River area.

Towards the end of the 19th century steamships began to bring more outsiders to Alaska. This sudden influx of tourism had a marked impact on the production of Tlingit spoons. The growth in to...