Large ladle found with burial pottery in a disturbed burial of the Harappan cemetery. Shell ladles were probably used in special rituals for dispensing sacred liquids such as water or oil. A hole in the bottom of the ladle has been repaired with a lead rivet. Corrosion and expansion of the lead has caused the shell to crack.
The fact that this object was included with the burial goods indicates that it must have had an important role in the after life or perhaps it could not be passed on to others due to its strong personal association with the dead individual. No complete burial was associated with this object so it is not possible to determine if it was used by a man or a woman.
Material: marine shell, Chicoreus ramosus
Dimensions: 24.3 cm length, 16.4 cm width
Harappa, Lot 446-01
Harappa Museum, H88-1192
Dales and Kenoyer 1990: 81, figs. 31, 58 |
