Description:

Oceania, Papua New Guinea or Vanuatu, ca. 1950s CE. A fine carved-wood tool displaying a long tapered point and rounded rectangular handle with a half-moon shape at its base. Skillfully incised with abstract geometric designs, the unique piece features 2 distinct curvilinear motifs framed by rectangular striations on either side of its blade and a zig-zag pattern across its crossguard. Coated in a rich hue of black paint, this tool is possibly a knife used to cut and serve a breadfruit pudding called lap-lap, a typical dish of the Vanuatu peoples. Size: 14.375" L x 1.5" W (36.5 cm x 3.8 cm)

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

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#141760

  • Condition: Chip to tip and small white mark on base of handle. Some light fading to paint in areas. Otherwise, intact and excellent with lovely earthen deposits in recessed areas.

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January 14, 2021 10:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
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$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000