Lime Container Stopper
Iatmul, Sepik River Region, Papua New Guinea, 19th century
PROVENANCE: John and Marcia Friede, Rye, NY.
Similar example published: Dr. Otto Reche. 1913. "Der Kaiserin-August-A-Fluss". p. 261, abb. 275.

Bamboo lime containers were used for the consumption of betel nut in Papua New Guinea. The stopper to such containers were usually made out of wood and carved into the shape of an animal. This particular stopper is in the shape of a crocodile, a very important ancestral animal to the Iatmul. The top of the stopper has been carved into the head of the crocodile, while the lateral shape of the wood has been utilized to created the illusion of it's body. A stylized scale pattern decorates the stopper, ending in the form of a dual ancestor face, visible on the front and back. One of the most remarkable aspects of this stopper is the braided fiber attachment which is woven around the object. Made of organic material, these attachments rarely last.

Height: 18 1/2" in.
IN 2-9-17 / Price on Request