Aus dem frühen 20. Jahrhundert, Korwar-Arealbehälter für Betelnuss - geelvinkbay - West-Papua (Ohne mindestpreis)

This small bowl, carved from coconut wood, originates from Moor Island in West Papua. I acquired it in 1994 during my travels in the region. Even at that time, it was already regarded locally as an heirloom, said to have belonged to a great-grandfather of the family who preserved it.

The object bears all the subtle yet unmistakable signs of prolonged and intimate use. The surface has been worn smooth by countless hands, meals, and daily rituals. Its patina is deep and soft, not merely the result of age, but of continuous human contact—handling, washing, carrying, and perhaps even passing from one generation to the next. The edges are slightly rounded from wear, and the interior shows a gentle polishing that only time and repetition can produce.

What makes this bowl particularly intriguing is the faint but deliberate drawing incised along its outer side. The motif is simple, almost understated, yet it carries a quiet presence. Such markings are rarely purely decorative in this cultural context; they often reflect memory, identity, or a connection to a story, a person, or a lineage. Whether it was added by the original owner or a later descendant remains unknown, but it reinforces the sense that this object was more than utilitarian—it held meaning.

Coconut wood, while readily available, requires skill to shape properly. Its grain can be unpredictable, and the maker must have understood the material well to produce a vessel that endured decades of use. The bowl’s form is modest and functional, yet balanced, suggesting it was made by an experienced hand rather than as a casual or temporary item.

Altogether, this piece stands as a quiet witness to daily life on Moor Island in an earlier time. It carries traces of nourishment, continuity, and memory. More than an object, it is a fragment of lived experience—handled, used, and valued across generations.

A powerful and evocative work from one of the most artistically rich regions of Papua New Guinea.



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Alongside my passion for these unique cultural objects, I recently published my book Ik droomde dat je kwam, in which I describe personal encounters and experiences in Papua. The spirit of objects like this necklace lives on in those stories.


Sold by Koos Knol, ethnographer and anthropologist, dealer of Papua Tribal Art for more than 30 years,

NIEUWSTE BOEK VAN KOOS KNOL

‘Ik droomde dat je kwam’

Een prachtig en meeslepend boek vol verhalen over Papua, met een bijzondere mix van avontuur, cultuur en persoonlijke ontmoetingen. De auteur neemt je mee van Raja Ampat tot de Asmat, van Yapen tot de Vogelkop, in een warme en levendige vertelstijl. Inclusief fotokatern van Roy Villevoye.
Prijs: €22,95
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Google: Papua Blues en Ik droomde dat je kwam
( Uitgeverij Noordboek in Gorredijk.