Massim Lime Spatula, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea
Wood
length 21 1/4in (54cm)
PROVENANCE
New Zealand Private Collection
Australian Private Collection
Possibly by the 19th century master carver, Mutuaga, with the handle carved as a pig.
"Mutuaga [was] a master carver who lived and worked in Dagodagoisu village in the Massim region at the turn of the twentieth century. Mutuaga's unique carving style is recognizable by its distinctive rendition of the human figure and the elegance and precision of its surface ornamentation. Mutuaga created objects for local use and, beginning in the 1890s, developed a relationship with Charles Abel of the London Missionary Society. Abel became Mutuaga's patron and promoted his work among the growing numbers of European missionaries, traders, and visitors in the area."(Metropolitan Museum of Art, WEB, nd)
