Southeast Asia, Indonesia, South Sulawesi, Toraja people, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A wonderful set of 3 hand-carved wooden spoons, each exhibiting a range of chocolate, espresso, caramel, russet, and burnt ochre hues. The first spoon is of a lengthy, sweeping form with a shallow scoop and a scalloped handle end. The second spoon features a deep, broad scoop similar to a ladle and has an openwork handle that resembles an abstract avian creature, perhaps a rooster. The largest spoon bears a deeply curved and nearly laterally planar scoop, an incised X on the obverse of the neck, and a tapered anthropomorphic head as the pommel. Each spoon is enveloped in fine layers of patina that imbue them with an attractive presentation. Size of largest (human head handle): 7.75" L x 1.5" W (19.7 cm x 3.8 cm); 7.7" H (19.6 cm) on included custom stand.

Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1988.143.136

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, 1995 to 2010; ex-Ami Brown collection, New York, USA, 1950 to 1970

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Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#168584

A few stable hairline fissures are present on underside of spoon with scalloped handle as well as scoop of spoon with openwork avian handle. Each spoon has minor abrasions, with softening to some finer details on spoons with avian handle and human head pommel, otherwise all are intact and very good. Great patina throughout. Each spoon has a green sticker and an old inventory label on the underside.