New Guinea Lime Spatulas-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art
Here are seven various New Guinea lime spatulas. On the far left is a very rare bone lime spatula from the Collingwood Bay area of Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. Carved with a nice openwork design and a curled bird’s beak top the spatula shows extensive use on the tip—stained classic red/brown. This is 7 ¾” (19.6 cm) in height and sells for $900. To its right is an ancient Massim clapper spatula from the late Harry Beran Collection (HB 859), ex. Christie’s South Kensington 29 June 1987, lot 2, ex. Jolika Collection of John & Marcia Friede, ex. Paul Rossi Collection. Beran identified this spatula as from the same hand as six others (1 May 2014). It dates to the 19th century, is 9 3/8” (23.9 cm) in height(SOLD). Third from the left is a rare Azera culture lime spatula from Markham Valley. It is ex. Richard Aldridge Collection and published in my “Between the Known and Unknown: New Guinea Art from Astrolabe Bay to Morobe” catalog of 2016, no. 138. It is 16 5/8” (32.7 cm) in height, dates to the early 20th century and sells for $2800. Middle spatula is from the Abelam area, made from cassowary bone and is ex. Douglas Newton Collection (SL.20.90.10.6), ex. Jolika Collection of John & Marcia Friede, dates to the early 20th century, is 18” (45.8 cm) in height(SOLD). To its right is another very rare and fine Azera spatula also ex. Jolika Collection and published in my “Between the Known and Unknown” catalog of 2016, no. 139. It dates to the early 20th century, is 15 ½” (39.3 cm) in height and sells for $2800. Second from right is an ancient Collingwood Bay “wange nua” style spatula, probably pre-contact and stone-carved, 14 ¼” (36.2 cm) in height that sells for $2500. Far right is a classic Middle Sepik River cassowary bone lime spatula with cockatoo head collected by the late John Scott in 1969. The spatula dates to the early 20th century, is 11 ½” (29.2 cm) in height(SOLD). Questions?