Description (Labels & Markings)
'A circular white mark on the bottom of the right foot has the no. '37' written on it and indicates the Spooner Collection number. The same number is repeated on the left foot on a white paper label.'
Event Date
Author: Louise Puckett

Context (CMS Context)
The Spooner Collection was acquired by Arthur Casswell Spooner (1906-1996) during his colonial service in West Africa between 1929-1963, and also by his wife Sylvia from 1944. Following the Cambridge Colonial Service diploma (Clare College, 1928-9), he was posted to the Gold Coast in July 1929 as a Cadet in the Administrative Service. He was soon appointed Assistant District Commissioner and served in various areas of Ashanti and the Northern Territories until 1938. His tasks comprised office and court work as well as much travelling through the district.

In 1939 Spooner was seconded as Commissioner of the Labour Department in Kumasi, and in 1942 was appointed Assistant Director of Labour, General Headquarters West African Command, involved in raising Pioneer Groups in Sierra Leone and Nigeria primarily for the North African campaign. He was a member of the Gold Coast Defence Force and in 1942 appointed as a temporary Lieutenant Colonel. He married Sylvia Blest in Accra in 1944 and she accompanied him on all his postings. In 1945 he returned to the Administrative Service, and was appointed Senior District Commissioner, Ashanti, in 1946 and in 1951 Assistant Chief Commissioner of the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast He retired in 1952, returning to the UK to work for Eastbury Estates Ltd.

He returned to Africa in 1956, working for the Gambian Government in the Establishments and Training Department until 1959. From 1961 to 1963 he was employed by the Government of Northern Nigeria to run the Resident's offices in Makurdi and Ilorin.

Following discussion with MAA from 2005 onwards the object and photograph collections were donated in 2015 by Sylvia's son Professor Edward T. Spooner per the Spooner family, with material also going to the teaching collections.

Arthur Spooner's correspondence and papers, 1928-95, are held at the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford. Several items (including Konkomba dancing hats), copies of photographs and their associated copyright and a telegram relevant to the purchase of Sylvia Spooner's wedding ring were also given to the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum c.2008.
Event Date 23/10/2015
Author: Remke van der Velden

Context (CMS Context)
Notes by Arthur Spooner typed by his wife, Sylvia
read: 'Mo carving given to ACS by the Chief and his son who had 1 eye between them (onchosiasis) who lived in a Mo village on the left bank of the Volta at Buipi 24 miles south of Damongo in 1938. He was visiting this village when DC Bole and an old Moshi had come down with a caravan of donkeys to collect cola nuts. He was left behind by his colleagues. To draw attention to himself he cut his throat. I made him spit on a newspaper and decided he had not cut it very deep so he was put on a couple of bamboo poles and trekked 14 miles back to Damongo in the rain.
‘A herd of elephants which I did not see passed between me and the carriers. I took the old man in by car to Bole, convicted him attempting to commit suicide and sent him to Wa prison where, of course, he was well looked after and at a later date he came down to Bole and thanked me.' R. v.d. Velden, 23/10/2015.
Event Date 23/10/2015
Author: maa

Description (Physical description)
Carved dark wooden figure of a man with a triangular headpiece. Hands on chest. Light weight.
Event Date 23/10/2015
Author: maa

Context (CMS Context)
See Spooner photo no. 12 in Collection file for object in Spooner family home.
Event Date 26/10/2015
Author: Remke van der Velden

Description (Physical description)
Carved figure of a man with a triangular headpiece and holding his hands clutched together on his chest. The wood has been darkened and the surface is now dark brown.
Event Date 10/11/2020
Author: Louise Puckett