Tapak: Sago Tongs - Papua, New Guinea

The particularity and rarity of this "Tapak", in addition to the exceptional state of preservation, comes from the fact that it is carved with two faces on each of its faces, one male, the other female. Representing a couple of ancestors, seen half-length, arms along the body, stylized hands on the belly. The finesse of the decoration, the delicacy of the gestures, the minute treatment of the facial features, and the rarity of this typology with two faces distinguish this tapak. These tongs were once used to hold a sago palm leaf folded into a gutter shape used to extract flour from the heart of the palm. Sago flour was the staple food in many regions of Papua New Guinea. REGION: Papua New Guinea MATERIAL: Wood PERIOD: early 20th century DIMENSION: 42.5 x 5.5cm