56 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



have the conventionalized forms of birds carved upon tbem. In 

 rare instances the figure was carved from a separate piece of wood 

 and attached to the spoon handle with a peg. 



The wood chosen for spoons was usually curly maple knots^ 

 although knots of other woods were valued and often used. The 

 Iroquois preferred to have their spoons of a dark color and as the 

 " spoon wood " was white or yellow, they used dyes tO' darken 

 them. Hemlock bark or roots were boiled in water until the liquid 

 was of the proper shade, which was dark red, and then the spoon 



Fig. II Types of Seneca and Onondaga eating spoons, i, wooden spoon; 2, bark ladle; 

 3, buffalo horn spoon. Number 3 was collected by E. R. Burmaster, 1910, from the 

 Alec John family who had preserved it as an heirloom for many years. 



was plunged in and boiled with the dye until it had become 

 thoroughly saturated with the dye and had partaken of the desired 

 color. By use and time the spoon became almost as black as ebony 

 and took a high polish. 



Spoons were sometimes shaped from elm bark but these were 

 not durable. They were scoops rather than ladles or spoons. 



The Iroquois did not readily abandon the use of wooden spoons 

 and in some districts they are still used. The Indians say that food 



