Ceremonial Spoon

Timor, possibly the Atoni people, Indonesia
19th Century

Like something straight out of a Salvador Dali painting this spoon from Timor is the epitome of surrealism. This sculpture showcases the highly evolved sence of the surreal in the sub-conscious mind of this talented Timor carver. The form of this piece is ingenious; consisting of a flat elongated humanoid body; simply rendered through a cut out of negative space; surmounted by a fantastic curving bird symbolizing the head of the figure. Carved from buffalo horn with a rich deep patina from age and traces of encrustations. While there are attractive Timor spoons on the market this example is among the rarest of its kind.

This spoon stands 5.5 inches tall
IN 11-7-12/ SOLD