PAAN, BETEL & LIME HABIT PARAPHERNALIA, CHOICE BETWEEN 3 ANTIQUE (EARLY 1900) OR VINTAGE LIME POUNDER, PESTLE, SPATULA FROM MELANESIA & SUMATRA

CHOICE BETWEEN 3 COLLECTIBLE BETEL TOOLS: 2 INSTRUMENTS FROM REMOTE ISLANDS OF PNG AND THE OTHER 1 A HIGHLY CARVED TOTEM PESTLE FROM SUMATRA (UNLESS YOU WANT ALL 3)

BP39: RARE ANTIQUE (EARLY 1900) MELANESIAN, MASSIM REGION, TROBRIAND ISLAND HAND CARVED WOOD BETEL POUNDER OR PESTLE USED DURING THE BETEL HABIT TO CRUSH THE BETEL NUT IN A NARROW WOODEN RECEPTACLE. LENGTH: 12” OR 30 CMS. Finely carved with rudimentary tools.

BP40: RARE MELANESIAN, MASSIM REGION, TROBRIAND ISLAND UNIQUE VARIGATED WOOD LIME SPATULA  (WITH DELICATE HAND CARVING) USED DURING THE BETEL HABIT AND BELONGING TO AN INFLUENCIAL TRIBAL MEMBER OF THE VILLAGE, HAD JUST BEEN CARVED WHEN HE ACQUIRED IT. (LATE 1900’S). LENGTH: 9 ½” OR 24 CMS. Finely carved with rudimentary tools.

9SUM: FROM CENTRAL SUMATRA, A VERY ELABORATE, INTRICATLY  HAND CARVED WOOD POUNDER OR PESTLE (MID 1900’S) WITH MANY IMPORTANT ANCESTOR’S  FACES ALL OVER, 6 FACES IN ALL, MEANT TO PROTECT THE OWNER FROM EVIL SPIRITS. LENGTH: 12 ¾” OR 32 ½ CMS.

All 3 items are related to betel nut chewing, an activity that accompanies many social and ritualistic occasions.

I TOOK MORE PICTURES OF THE 2 CARVED PIECES SO THE DETAILS COULD BE BETTER SEEN

FACT: The lime pounders and containers of the Trobriand Islands are among the most collectible carvings in Oceania. Lime spatulas, pounder and receptacles are related to the betel nut chewing habit and are of great importance in the Massim area.

Please inspect photos carefully to be satisfied, pictures speak louder than words.

The practice of betel nut chewing actually involves the chewing of three substances together: the nut of a palm (which purportedly tastes similar to nutmeg); the leaf, bean, or stem of the betel vine, which is a member of the pepper family; and hydrated or slaked lime (from burned seashells or coral or from mountain lime).

Betel chewing is part of working in the gardens, attending feasts, meeting friends, trade rituals, and making love for the people of East New Guinea and the Trobriands, but is also very much a part of Indonesia’s culture.

A traditional part of a man or woman’s personal paraphernalia in Indonesia, New Guinea and the Trobriands was their lime container, pounder or pestle and the spatula for betel chewing, a custom practiced on social and ritual occasions.

Three substances are actually chewed together: the nut of a palm, which has a hot, acrid taste similar to nutmeg; the leaf, bean, or stem of the betel vine, which is a member of the pepper family; and slaked lime made from burned sea shells or coral or from mountain lime and kept in this container while not in use. Once chewed, the mixture becomes a mild stimulant said to reduce hunger, pain, create a sense of well-being, and increase a person's capacity for work. Chewing betel nut makes people teeth turn red and eventually rot.  

The Massim district from which these lime spatulas originate consists of the southeastern tip of New Guinea, the Louisade Archipelago, the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, and the Trobriand Islands. There is much trade between the islands; both ceremonial trading, called hula in which shell-disc necklaces and shell armbands are exchanged, and utilitarian, in which canoes, clay pots, wooden bowls, pigs, food, betel-nuts, and betel chewing utensils are traded. Betel chewing plays an important role in the hula. Lime spatulas are sometimes offered to get the trade partner to yield the desired hula item and the power of betel chewing is also used to influence trading.

All our collector and rare items come with pages and pages of research about provenance, and with history of the tribes and photos as well, depending on item and whenever possible. When shipping internationally, we group ship multiple purchases to save you money, and find the best rates available. If you have any questions or want to see research conducted on these pieces, let us know.