Spatula, Northern Massim Area Papua New Guinea Early... Lot 68

Spatula, Northern Massim Area Papua New Guinea Early 20th century Height: 25.5 cm Provenance: Harry Beran Collection: Harry Beran Collection England. HB37 Collection John & Marcia Friede. Rye New York.USA Exhibited at the Wollongong City Gallery. Bibliography: Beran Harry, Art of the Massim Region of Papua New Guinea,1980. Reproduced under n°22. This beautiful spatula, made from cassowary bone, captivates by the purity of its lines and the refined elegance of its ivory-tinged patina. The straight, cylindrical handle, tapered at the end, is adorned at the top with three cowrie shells, banana seeds and barter beads. The noble materials of this traditional spatula - cassowary bone and cowrie shells, indicate the high rank of its owner. The cassowary bones were imported, the bird being absent from the Massim region, while the spatulas were made on the Trobriand Islands. Trobriand Islands. This object was collected by Harry Beran in 1969 from Chief Siyoula, in the village of Lobua on the island of Kiriwina. Chief Siyoula is shown in a photograph reproduced in Harry Beran, Betel-chewing Equipment of East New Guinea, 1988. Fig.2.