Coconut Grater
ClassificationsTools and Equipment-graters
Date20th Century
Made AtManus Province, Papua New Guinea
MediumWood, bone and metal
Dimensions17 1/2 × 12 × 6 in. (44.5 × 30.5 × 15.2 cm)
Credit LineAnonymous Gift
Object number2021.7.30
DescriptionThough this coconut grater with a heart-shaped seat diverges in form from the squarish graters that are most common on Wuvulu, both were used the same way as all Micronesian graters by sitting on the seat and using the scraper to extract the fibrous contents of a halved coconut.Island Oceania is divided into Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, but trade and migration have created a great deal of commonality among these cultural and geographic subregions. Despite being only 100 miles away from the coast of New Guinea, the center of Melanesian culture, most individuals on the island of Wuvulu are of Micronesian descent. Some of the earliest theories about the island’s connection to Micronesia were surmised from the use of similar shark tooth weapons to those used in the Gilbert Islands. To this day the unique functional and decorative objects produced on Wuvulu show influences from both Melanesia and Micronesia.
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20th Century
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