Early 20th C. PNG Massim Wooden Lime Spatula w/ Figure

**Originally Listed At $300**

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Goodenough Island, Diodio village, Massim peoples, ca. early to mid 20th century CE. A hand-carved wooden spatula used to obtain powdered lime from burnt shell and coral remains and prepare it for use. The tool has a slender body which tapers to a rounded point at the end, a thick rectangular handle with smooth edges, and an abstract anthropomorphic finial on top. The figure has both elbows resting on its knees, seated in an upright posture, with a bar-shaped cap covering a smiling face. Lime powder is an essential ingredient in betel chewing and is combined orally with leaves from a betel-pepper plant and crushed areca nuts to produce an intoxicating mixture. Betel chewing has been practiced throughout Indonesia, Oceania, and India for centuries. Custom museum-quality display stand included. Size: 16.625" H (42.2 cm); 17.75" H (45.1 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection, acquired by Greg Hamson in April 2007 on Goodenough Island

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#133641
Condition Report: Age-commensurate surface wear, small nicks and roughness to tip, body, and handle, with some abrasions, otherwise intact and very good. Light earthen deposits within recessed areas, and great dark-brown patina throughout.