Lime Spatula
Iatmul, Middle Sepik Papua New Guinea
19th Century
Previous Collection: Chaim Gross, NYC (Famous artist and collector)

This very old and rare lime stick is carved from the femor bone of a Cassowary bird. The imagery is of a bird sitting on the top of a branch. The bird is conceived with extraordinary personality. Details like the subtle tilt of the head and the way that the feet are perched onto the stylized ‘branch’ make this sculpture actually feel alive. The porous bone gives the surface an aged patina and texture that exhibit’s the generations of use this spatula has seen. There is a small area of rattan tightly wrapped onto the bone; this area would have been sticking out of the lime container. In overall excellent condition considering its delicate medium.

This Lime Spatula is 15 in tall.
SOLD / IN 10-3-09