This ladle has an elaborately curved handle similar to the prow of a Dong Son boat. A large-beaked bird sits on the handle with a fish in its mouth. Dried gourds have been found together with lacquer bowls and weaving loom parts in Dong Son burials in the Red River Delta region of north Vietnam. They are thought to have been used in the process of preparing fibres for weaving texiles. Their use in burials may indicate that the deceased was a weaver of high social status.The sophisticated technology used in bronze-casting suggests Dong Son society was advanced enough to have specialists who would have worked full-time in this field. This can be seen in the spread of bronze goods and technology throughout the Southeast Asian region.
