Abelam Coconut Shell Spoon-Seymour Lazar Collection-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art
It would be a disservice to relegate this Abelam culture coconut cup into the realm of utilitarian objects. Such cups were prized possessions of older men, carried around in their string bags and brought out with complacent pride when attending intervillage ceremonies as they were served coconut yam soup. I have mounted the spoon horizontally to try and display the beautifully carved and painted design. This is an ancient spoon with swirling motifs of curled fern fronds. Remember paint for the Abelam was magic and the colors here animated and charged the spoon. Notice the aged and glossy patina from decades, if not generations, of loving use. The piece comes from the Seyour Lazar estate in Palm Springs, dates to the late 19th/early 20th century, is 6 1/8” (15.5 cm) wide as mounted. SOLD