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Ladle
Ladle
Ladle
This relative, a wooden ladle, was collected by British Army officer Jasper Grant between 1800-1809 during his service in Canada. The ladle appears to have been carved in imitation of European silverware. Although the origins of this relative are not certain, it has probable connections to the Great Lakes region.
This relative currently resides in the National Museum of Ireland.
National Museum of Ireland records.
Read More About This Relative
Wood, soft; stain of reddish vegetable dye.
Ladle carved with curving elements influenced by the design of European silverware
Large ladles were used across the Great Lakes region for feasts and ceremonial occasions. They were often carved with a spirit effigy on the handle.
Label adhered to relative: "SCIENCE & ART MUSEUM, DUBLIN / 1902 / ART / 351".
Period of Grant's military service in Canada
Provenance
Jasper Grant (1762-1812), Anglo-Irish officer who spent 9 years in Canada between 1800-1809. Served as commandant of Fort George in the Niagara Peninsula and of Fort Malden at Amherstburg opposite Detroit. It is likely that his wife, Isabella Grant, played a significant role in the collection of items given her close relationship to Madeline Askin Richardson, the daughter of a prominent fur trader and merchant with extensive ties to the surrounding Indigenous communities.
National Museum of Ireland records.
In 1984-1985 the Jasper Grant Collection was featured in a special travelling exhibition for the Ontario bicentennial, which was organized by the McMichael Canadian Collection and entitled "Patterns of Power."
Phillips, Ruth. Patterns of Power. Kleinburg,On.: McMichael Canadian Collection, 1984.
Philips, Ruth B. (1986-87). “Jasper Grant and Edward Walsh: the Gentleman-Soldier as Early Collector of Great Lakes Indian Art.” Journal of Canadian Studies 21(4): 56-71.
About This GRASAC Record
Maker, Name unrecorded. Ladle. GRASAC ID: 26465. National Museum of Ireland Collection, 1902.351.
This record was augmented by Dana Murray on November 2, 2024. It was informed by the notes and images collected during the GRASAC research trip to the National Museum of Ireland on July 22, 2010. Participants included Alan Corbiere, Ruth Phillips, Rachel Hand, Crystal Migwans, and Nicholas Stolle, who were assisted by Padraig Clancy and Emma Crosby.
42.107, -83.1132
This information was informed by the following resource: Phillips, Ruth. Patterns of Power. Kleinburg, On.: Patterns of Power, 1984. Fort Malden is identified on the map as a possible origin for this relative, but this reflects only one place where the relative may have lived. It is not a known place of origin; it is only one location associated with where the collector, Jasper Grant, served in the British Army.