Lot 11C
Oceania, Melanesia, Papua New Guinea, Milne Bay Province, Trobriand Islands, Massim people, ca. early 19th century CE. An early 19th century wooden spatula from the Trobriand Islands, carved in the simple, unembellished style identified by scholar Harry Beran as characteristic of the earliest known examples. The handle is carved in the form of a seated nude male figure with knees bent at right angles, prominently modeled phallus and navel, and hands clasping a betel nut crusher - an image that unites both the tool's practical and symbolic functions. Such spatulas were integral to the preparation of betel nut, a stimulant central to social and ceremonial life across the Massim region. The tool was used to mix betel nut and leaf with lime (chalk), producing a chewable blend. Figural examples like this held a heightened significance during kula voyages, the elaborate inter-island exchange expeditions that underpinned political alliances and prestige. Size: 1.3" L x 1.5" W x 13.6" H (3.3 cm x 3.8 cm x 34.5 cm); 14.8" H (37.6 cm) on included custom stand.
According to Trobriand Chief Narubutua, these human figure spatulas served as vessels for magical protection - before departure, a magician would call upon a tokwai spirit to inhabit the figure, safeguarding the owner during travel and even while asleep. In this example, the figural handle, with its explicit depiction of virility and the betel nut crusher, speaks to themes of potency, sustenance, and ritual safeguarding - qualities essential to the kula journey. It stands today as both a rare early 19th century utilitarian object and a tangible embodiment of Massim spiritual and ceremonial tradition.
Exhibited: "The Ralph T. Coe Legacy 'Instruments of Passion'" exhibit at The Santa Fe Show August 9-13, 2013/El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe Aug 14-30, 2013.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA; ex-Taylor "Tad" Dale Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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#196359
- Condition: Chipping to hat and tip of spatula with small hairline fissure. Light surface wear, but otherwise intact and excellent with nice detail and light patina.
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