Title
Tavi (coconut spoon)
early 20th century-mid 20th century
collected 1965
Artist
-
Details
- Place where the work was made
-
Tambanum Village
→
Middle Sepik River
→
East Sepik Province
→
Papua New Guinea
- Cultural origin
- Iatmul people
- Dates
- early 20th century-mid 20th century
collected 1965 - Media category
- Sculpture
- Materials used
- coconut shell
- Dimensions
- 14.7 x 9.0 x 7.4 cm
- Credit
- Purchased 1965
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- 379.1994
- Copyright
- Artist information
-
Iatmul people
Works in the collection
- Share
-
-
About
Spoons created from coconut shell – known as 'tavi' – were once widespread in the Sepik region. According to Tambanum villager Mark Kuatno, this 'tavi' was carved with the form of a 'gapma kami', the totem of the catfish clan. A hole drilled through the top of the mouth would have been threaded with bush string to suspend the spoon, following use.
[entry from Exhibition Guide for 'Melanesian art: redux', 2018, cat no 9]
-
Exhibition history
Shown in 2 exhibitions
Aboriginal and Melanesian art, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 19 Oct 1974 -
Melanesian art: redux, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 17 Nov 2018–17 Feb 2019
-
Bibliography
Referenced in 1 publication
-
Tony Tuckson, Aboriginal and Melanesian art, Sydney, 1973, 44. cat.no. 40, 'Coconut spoon. Tambanum village (Iatmul). Coconut shell. 14.5l Collected 1965'
-
