SAGU SAGO AXE POUNDER PAPUA IRIAN JAYA ASMAT Carving Start Price USD 850.00 Current Price USD 850.00 Time Left 5 days 22 hours 19 minutes Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, October 16, 2008 End Time Wednesday, January 14, 2009 Location Arlington, TX See more about 'SAGU SAGO AXE POUNDER PAPUA IRIAN JAYA ASMAT Carving' Description I have for auction a very, very old sago pounder handle. This amal handle was obtained by me personally while doing field work there in the Bird's Head area of Irian Jaya, Indonesia (Papua) back in the late 1980's. While scouting out local myths and legends a number of ancient artifacts were shown to me. Since I was familiar with the cultural objects on display in the Cenderawasih museum and the Museum of Culture in Kota Raja, I knew right off these were items of antiquity. In the course of time, I was able to acquire a couple treasures and now present one to you. The clan who owned this amal handle would not part with it without it being "complete", and so the clan craftsman made the newer wooden pounder and affixed it to the handle with rattan. The carved wooden handle had fallen to disuse, becoming a treasured piece of their past. The meticulous attention to detail in the carving points to the fact that this was not done by a novice, but someone in the clan who had an acumen for fine native art, an old man. Since the object was already in disuse and stored as a treasured clan object, it probably dates to the 1940's or much earlier. In the storage process, termites have investigated it and have left their mark, too. This is wonderful piece of Wondama native history. Intricate carving of this kind is rare. The handle has signs of use, dings, dents, fissures, erosion and termite trails, all have been taken into account in the auctioning of this wonderful piece. I will ship to lower 48 for $40, elsewhere to be determined. Place a Bid!