Mortar - Ramu - Papua New Guinea

Magic medecin mortar, Coastal Sepik river, Papua New-guinea

This mortar is called a Dap-dap and can be considered a helping tool in ingesting the stimulant effects of the betel nut to reach an hallucinatic state .
In this case the cup is hold by two back to back male ancestral figures, who are positioned on a wooden base. The three figures have mask-like faces as often seen in other objects from this region . It is often believed that the depicted carriers, are spirits, ancestors or supernaturals beings, and that they had some magical properties, which gave the mortar not only a utilitarean purpose, but also a religious one.

Private German collection

ref : see the Fortress betel Mortar for similar example .

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