Spatula, Aire Massim Papua New Guinea Ebony wood Height:... Lot 27

Spatula, Aire Massim Papua New Guinea Ebony wood Height: 35.5 cm 19th century Provenance: Maurice Joy Collection, London Maurice Joy Collection, London Michael Ball Collection Harry Beran Collection, London (HB 863) Collection Marcia & John Friede, The Jolika Collection, Rye, New York, USA Although this type of lime spatula usually features an anthropomorphic figure at the top of the handle, our object offers a more abstract, stylized variation, magnified by the dark patina of the ebony wood. The oval-shaped end, with an openwork center, is topped by a bird motif, and the rim is rimmed with small holes for shell disks. Franck Marcelin points out that this spatula is the only stylistic reference known to Harry Beran. Lime spatulas constitute the category of small utilitarian objects whose sophistication and refinement characterize the Massim cultural area. The function of these objects was to collect a small quantity of lime - crushed shell powder, to be mixed with the walnut to attenuate its bitterness.