Pair Of Spoons Made From Primate Skull Parts

Zo'é (Zoé) culture, Brazilian Amazon

XXᵉ century

Field collection - Jean-Pierre Dutilleux Collection

Set described by the collector as spoons made from monkey skull caps.

Field collection - Jean-Pierre Dutilleux Collection described by him as spoons made from monkey skull caps.

PUBLICATION READY

DESCRIPTION

Rare pair of ceremonial spoons consisting of long, finely shaped wooden handles, extended by spoons made from primate skull bone elements, carefully hollowed out and adapted for use.

The handles, slender and of great purity of line, have a warm, deep patina revealing prolonged handling in a context of real use. They are attached to the spoons by insertion and vegetable binding, according to traditional techniques observed in several Amazonian cultures.

The spoons, naturally hemispherical in shape, retain the original organic structure of the material, showing an antique polish linked to handling and use. This tension between natural material and human transformation gives the ensemble a particularly strong sculptural presence.

By their formal stripping and verticality, these objects develop a surprisingly contemporary aesthetic, at the crossroads of ethnography and minimalist sculpture.

CULTURAL CONTEXT

Attributed to the Zo'é culture, these spoons are part of the food and ceremonial practices linked to the collective consumption of liquid or semi-liquid preparations.

The use of animal bone elements in ceremonial utensils refers to a symbolic relationship between man, animal and the forest environment, characteristic of traditional Amazonian societies where material, use and representation of the living remain intimately linked.

PROVENANCE

Jean-Pierre Dutilleux Collection, assembled during field missions in Amazonia.

A major figure in contemporary ethnographic exploration, Jean-Pierre Dutilleux has devoted several decades to documenting the indigenous peoples of Amazonia and New Guinea. The objects from his collection stand out for their authenticity, their direct link with the field, as well as their significant documentary value.

EXHIBITION

Presented as part of the "Le Monde Premier" exhibition devoted to Jean-Pierre Dutilleux's field collections.

The set retains its original quadrilingual museographic nominette, a rarely preserved element, confirming its integration into the exhibition itinerary.

INTEREST AND RARITY

Ceremonial spoons attributed to the Zo'é remain particularly rare on the primitive arts market, even more so when kept in pairs and accompanied by a direct field provenance.

Their organic power, combined with a line of great formal sobriety, today makes them highly attractive to international collectors sensitive to works situated on the border between ethnographic object and contemporary sculpture.

Preserved with their original exhibition nominette, these pieces are first-rate ethnographic testimonies from a field ensemble that has become difficult to reconstitute today.

CONDITION

Good overall condition.

Homogeneously used patina.

Uses consistent with traditional use.

DIMENSIONS

Height: approx. 25 cm

Spoon diameter: approx. 7 cm