Description & Technical information

A false clapper with a clearly carved head. A perforated ridge runs from between the eyes to the mouth. The rest of the handle is decorated with two rows of interlocking scrolls on one side and a rare guilloche scroll on the other. The brackets show a face-like motif on both sides which is similar to the face carved on the head of most clappers. Massim Region, South East PNG, Melanesia. 

Period:  19th century
Origin:  Melanesia
Medium: Ebony wood with lime infill
Dimensions: 24.1 cm (9¹/₂ inches)
Provenance: Ex coll.: Philippe Bourgoin.
Literature: Pub. : N° 38 SPATULES – MASSIM - SPATULAS. 20th Anniversary Exhibition. Galerie Meyer Oceanic Art, Paris. 2000.

Categories: Tribal Art, Works of Art