Tapak sago tongs, Wosera population. Abelam.Papua... Lot 144

Tapak sago tongs, Wosera population. Abelam.Papua New Guinea Dark patina wood, rattan. XX° century Height: 39cm Provenance: -The Jolika collection of John and Marcia Friede, Rye. New York A Janus-like representation of an ancestor's face, this clamp is adorned with the "Wagnen" headdress or insider's crest on the head. These tongs were used to hold a sago palm leaf, folded into a trough shape to extract the flour from the heart of the palm. Sago flour was a staple food in many parts of Papua New Guinea. The top of the claw features a schematized face, engraved in slight relief, with the edge of the face serrated. Beautiful patina.