Description:

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Gulf region, Kerema, Mai village, ca. 1930s CE. A lengthy and hand-carved wooden tapa cloth beater with a smooth, flush, and knobbed handle. The obverse face has a dense crosshatched pattern - carved inside of a shape resembling an elongated date fruit - and is used to pulverize tree bark; the verso has a rounded profile. Tapa cloths are traditionally made by beating the inner bark of mulberry or similar trees until it is soft and pliable, and then painted using a palette of naturally-occurring pigments. This example is a solid, elegant tool used to create true works of art. Size: 22.25" L x 2.375" W at widest point (56.5 cm x 6 cm).

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection; ex-private Australian collection

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#133443

  • Condition: Repaired at midpoint with some stabilizing material along break line. Surface wear commensurate with age and use, with small chips to knobbed end, verso, and tip, and some minor surface roughness. Nice earthen deposits and brown patina throughout.

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May 24, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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