The tough, translucent horn of the mountain sheep is a prized material for Northwest Coast Indigenous artists. Softened and shaped by boiling and steaming, embellished by intricate designs, mountain sheep horn was transformed into feast spoons and ladles both practical and ceremonial. The shape of this large spoon is economical, flowing in a smooth curve from end to end. On its handle the carver depicts the head of a bird, which Bill McLennan speculated could be that of a puffin. On the underside is an attractive traditional formline design. Freshly carved sheep horn has a light, creamy tone, but with continued handling its colour deepens into rich shades of amber and umber. Aged to a deep brown and showing signs of long use, this spoon appears to be from the nineteenth century.

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