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Hôtel des Ventes de Troyes

5 - Spoon - Ifugao - Philippines - 18 cm Provenance: Former Guy …
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Estimate €100 - €150
Sale commission
Description
Spoon - Ifugao - Philippines - 18 cm Provenance: Former Guy Seghers collection (Belgium). Collected in Papua New Guinea between 1970 and 1980 during scientific missions linked to the Leopold III Biological Station on Laing Island. Archives and period photographs preserved. Materials: Wood Dimensions: H. 18 cm. This elegant carved spoon is attributed to the Ifugao, a mountain people from the central Cordillera of Luzon, famous for its rice terraces and rich sculptural heritage. The object features a deeply carved oval spoon extended by an openwork figurative handle depicting a standing figure with arms folded over his chest. The head, with its sober, well-balanced features, is topped by a circular ring carved into the body. This element, frequently found on certain spoons and pendants from the Philippine highlands, may have been used to suspend the object while accentuating its symbolic dimension. The geometric treatment of the face, the reduction of the body to its essentials and the use of openwork spaces all bear witness to an aesthetic that is characteristic of the art of the Cordillera peoples. In addition to its utilitarian function, this type of spoon was used for ceremonial meals, community celebrations and ritual services associated with family prestige. Among the Ifugao, everyday objects could be invested with a strong symbolic value, particularly when they were decorated with human representations evoking ancestors or protective spirits.
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About the sale ARTS OF AFRICA & OCEANIA: Three exceptional family collections
Auction location
Auction time 06/22/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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