1: A model of a boat, carved from hard black wood. The miniature boat is richly decorated with volutes and spirals in relief on the bow and stern, and along the side lines. In the characteristic style of the Massim area.
Height: c. 5 cm; length: 65 cm.

2: A typical ‘sword-club’ from the Massim district. Carved out of one piece of hard, black wood. The top of the blade is broad, smooth and unpointed. Just under the tip, on both sides there are five rows of characteristic s-shaped volutes and spirals in relief, emphasised in white lime. At the bottom there is a sword hilt with a curved finial at the end. Length: 63 cm; width: 7 cm (the ‘blade’ above).

3: A lime spatula for betel chewing. Leaves from the betel pepper plant, crushed areca nuts and slaked lime in a container are needed for this activity. Lime spatulas such as this one are used to remove the lime from its container.
The present lime spatula is carved from hard, black wood. The handle of this spatula is its special feature: it depicts a sitting ancestor figure, elaborately carved in relief on both sides with volutes and spirals in the typical Massim style. With two old collection labels at the bottom. Length: 40 cm.
All three Massim objects: between c. 1900 and the first third of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance: Private Collection of Prof. Dr. Rudolf Leopold, Vienna.