Lot 56A
Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Timor Island, Tetum; Sulawesi Island, Toraja people, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. A fabulous ensemble of 3 spoons: 2 Toraja wood spoons and 1 Timor Island spoon of buffalo horn. Both enveloped in a rich hue of espresso, each of the wooden spoons presents a curved form with a lengthy, shallow bowl of a rectangular shape, an attenuated handle with a convex verso, and a flared tip. The larger displays an annular drill hole on the tip of its handle for suspension, while the more petite example showcases a bifurcated tip resembling the tail of a fish. Last, the buffalo horn exhibits a deep, circular bowl and a side-facing handle in the form of 2 stylized birds facing opposite directions with one sitting atop the other, all adorned with intricately incised abstract designs. Size of largest: 6.4" L x 1.7" W (16.3 cm x 4.3 cm); 6" H (15.2 cm) on included custom stand.
Ritual spoons like this example are typically carved by Timorese men. According to the Dallas Museum of Art, "The splendidly decorated ritual spoons were found over a much larger area than West Timor. The most impressive specimens, often adorned with beautiful openwork carving, are probably those of the Tetun in Central Timor. An interesting feature of their decoration is the frequent use of human figures, as well as the bird motif. Both subjects are sometimes rendered in high relief, and in some rare cases the human figures are even partially three-dimensional. These human shapes probably had a meaning comparable to that of the birds, signifying that the deceased had said his farewells to the community and was now a part of the realm of the ancestors."
Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession numbers 1988.143.136 and 1999.47.60.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, 1995 to 2010; ex-Ami Brown collection, New York, USA, 1950 to 1970
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#168587
- Condition: Both wooden spoons have small areas of loss on peripheries of bowls. Horn example has minor loss to crest of top bird on handle and bottom periphery of bowl. All have expected nicks and abrasions, commensurate with age and use. Otherwise, all are excellent with lovely patina.
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