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Oceania Ramu River area (?), Papua New Guinea Lime Spatula Wood, incrustation, traces of lime Raymond and Laura Wielgus Collection Indiana University Art Museum, 100.11.5.79 A traditional part of a man's personal paraphernalia in New Guinea was a lime container and a spatula for betel chewing, a custom practiced on social and ritual occasions. Three substances are actually chewed together: the nut of a palm, which has a hot, acrid taste similar to nutmeg; the leaf, bean, or stem of the betel vine, which is a member of the pepper family; and slaked lime made from burned sea shells or coral or from mountain lime. Betel chewing is a stimulant, reducing hunger, creating a sense of well being, and increasing a person's capacity for work. |