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LAST OF THE STONE AGE HUMAN ARTIFACTS: EXTREMELY RARE HEAD HUNTER “OMPI” BONE SPATULA, ADZERA (ADERA) CULTURE, MARKHAM VALLEY. MOROBE PROVINCE, EAST SEPIK, NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY. 7 ¼” X 1 ½
LAST OF THE STONE AGE HUMAN ARTIFACTS: EXTREMELY RARE HEAD HUNTER “OMPI” BONE SPATULA, ADZERA (ADERA) CULTURE, MARKHAM VALLEY. MOROBE PROVINCE, EAST SEPIK, NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY. 7 ¼” X 1 ½
LAST OF THE STONE AGE HUMAN ARTIFACTS: EXTREMELY RARE HEAD HUNTER “OMPI” BONE SPATULA, ADZERA (ADERA) CULTURE, MARKHAM VALLEY. MOROBE PROVINCE, EAST SEPIK, NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY. 7 ¼” X 1 ½
LAST OF THE STONE AGE HUMAN ARTIFACTS: EXTREMELY RARE HEAD HUNTER “OMPI” BONE SPATULA, ADZERA (ADERA) CULTURE, MARKHAM VALLEY. MOROBE PROVINCE, EAST SEPIK, NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY. 7 ¼” X 1 ½
LAST OF THE STONE AGE HUMAN ARTIFACTS: EXTREMELY RARE HEAD HUNTER “OMPI” BONE SPATULA, ADZERA (ADERA) CULTURE, MARKHAM VALLEY. MOROBE PROVINCE, EAST SEPIK, NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY. 7 ¼” X 1 ½
LAST OF THE STONE AGE HUMAN ARTIFACTS: EXTREMELY RARE HEAD HUNTER “OMPI” BONE SPATULA, ADZERA (ADERA) CULTURE, MARKHAM VALLEY. MOROBE PROVINCE, EAST SEPIK, NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY. 7 ¼” X 1 ½
LAST OF THE STONE AGE HUMAN ARTIFACTS: EXTREMELY RARE HEAD HUNTER “OMPI” BONE SPATULA, ADZERA (ADERA) CULTURE, MARKHAM VALLEY. MOROBE PROVINCE, EAST SEPIK, NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY. 7 ¼” X 1 ½
LAST OF THE STONE AGE HUMAN ARTIFACTS: EXTREMELY RARE HEAD HUNTER “OMPI” BONE SPATULA, ADZERA (ADERA) CULTURE, MARKHAM VALLEY. MOROBE PROVINCE, EAST SEPIK, NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY. 7 ¼” X 1 ½
LAST OF THE STONE AGE HUMAN ARTIFACTS: EXTREMELY RARE HEAD HUNTER “OMPI” BONE SPATULA, ADZERA (ADERA) CULTURE, MARKHAM VALLEY. MOROBE PROVINCE, EAST SEPIK, NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY. 7 ¼” X 1 ½
LAST OF THE STONE AGE HUMAN ARTIFACTS: EXTREMELY RARE HEAD HUNTER “OMPI” BONE SPATULA, ADZERA (ADERA) CULTURE, MARKHAM VALLEY. MOROBE PROVINCE, EAST SEPIK, NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY. 7 ¼” X 1 ½
LAST OF THE STONE AGE HUMAN ARTIFACTS: EXTREMELY RARE HEAD HUNTER “OMPI” BONE SPATULA, ADZERA (ADERA) CULTURE, MARKHAM VALLEY. MOROBE PROVINCE, EAST SEPIK, NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY. 7 ¼” X 1 ½
LAST OF THE STONE AGE HUMAN ARTIFACTS: EXTREMELY RARE HEAD HUNTER “OMPI” BONE SPATULA, ADZERA (ADERA) CULTURE, MARKHAM VALLEY. MOROBE PROVINCE, EAST SEPIK, NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY. 7 ¼” X 1 ½
LAST OF THE STONE AGE HUMAN ARTIFACTS: EXTREMELY RARE HEAD HUNTER “OMPI” BONE SPATULA, ADZERA (ADERA) CULTURE, MARKHAM VALLEY. MOROBE PROVINCE, EAST SEPIK, NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY. 7 ¼” X 1 ½

LAST OF THE STONE AGE HUMAN ARTIFACTS: EXTREMELY RARE HEAD HUNTER “OMPI” BONE SPATULA, ADZERA (ADERA) CULTURE, MARKHAM VALLEY. MOROBE PROVINCE, EAST SEPIK, NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY. 7 ¼” X 1 ½

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MARKHAM VALLEY CANNIBAL SPOON CALLED OMPI. MID 20TH C.

OLD HAND CARVED BONE PLANTAIN SCRAPER CALLED OMPI, A VERY RARE SPATULA WITH AN ANTHROPOMORPHIC ANCESTOR FACE ON TOP CUT AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE BONE AT AN ANGLE & MEANT TO PROTECT THE OWNER FROM EVIL SOULS LURKING IN THE JUNGLE, ADZERA (ADERA) PEOPLE, MOROBE PROVINCE, MARKHAM VALLEY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA. I WAS TOLD IT WAS HUMAN UPON PURCHASE, BUT I DID NOT HAVE IT ANALYZED LATER. FINE GLOSSY PATINA WITH GENUINE WEAR AND AN ARTIFACT FROM ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING CULTURES OF THE MODERN ERA,  MADE FAMOUS BY THE 1962 MOVIE, MONDO CANE.

“The Markham Valley is one of the few places where plantain, a sort of non-sweet banana, is eaten as a staple food. Scrapers carved out of human bone in the effigy of ancestors were used to remove the skin from the baked or roasted fruit" (Anthony J.P. Meyer. Oceanic Art. Cologne: Könemann, 1995, vol. I, pp. 164-165).”

I HAVE SEEN ONE GO FOR 1,500.00 AT AUCTION ONCE, THEY ARE VERY RARE.

This Banana Scraper from the Azera People in the Morobe Province of the Markham Valley was carved out of bone. The handle of the scrapper is fashioned into an anthropomorphic face. The face is cut away from the rest of the spoon and shaped at an angle with 2 holes on top of the head from where a hand twisted bark twine once hung so that the hunter or gatherer could wear it as a pectoral or attached to a belt.

EXCERPT: “In the 1930s, Markham Valley natives saw occasional airplanes, and heard of coastal contact with whites and their wondrous things, like metal axes and knives. They concluded that the whites were ancestors returning to help them. After performing the proper rituals, they were ready to receive the gifts due them. When none came, they concluded that the whites were keeping it for themselves and the thing to do was lure an airplane in. They built airplanes, radio shacks with log antennas and airfields out of straw, coconuts and other jungle materials. They hacked runways out of the jungle and paved them with palm leaves. Then they waited. You can imagine the rest. Cannibalism was integral to their culture and it has always been a point of conjecture whether these serving spoons were for human consumption. (Markham Valley Cannibal serving spoon from the Gunter Hintz collection)”.

See New Guinea Art from Astrolabe Bay to Morobe, p.227 #104

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 this piece and photos of tribes, let us know.