Age Unidentified - Lanka
Ruhuna - copper Ear-Spoon

A tiny copper spoon with long handle to clean ear wax. The other end could be a tooth-pick. This item of unknown age is the equivalent of the modern double tipped cotton swab is known in Sinhala as a kang handa (Ear-Spoon).

SPECIFICATIONS
AlloyCopper
TypeSpoon/prick
Length65.8 mm
Width4. mm
Thickness2. mm
Weight1.55 gms
ShapeRectangular
Edgesmooth
 ruhuna_Ear_Spoon_Cu_obverse

 

ruhuna_Ear_Spoon_Cu_reverse

Small spoon head to right. Spiral twist on that half of long handle. Small arrow head at left.

In the 1999 catalog by Osmund Bopearachchi and Rajah Wickramasinhe titled Ruhuna. An Ancient Civilization Re-visited a similar spoon (N.52) is listed under Miscellaneous Objects

Clearly a health hazard it is probably still used in rural Lanka. I guess the twist on handle will allow one to recognize by touch which end is being inserted :-)

The spoon was scanned at 300 dpi and displayed at 200 dpi. It was obtained in 2001 December directly from farmer who found it via Mr A. Ratnayaka a collector in Katharagama, Lanka.