Nukuoro Atoll, Caroline Islands, Micronesia
19th century
Hardwood, shell grater edge
Height: 13 inches (33 cm); Length: 19 inches (48.3 cm)
Provenance: Collected by Jonathan Millet, 1870–1880; Dr. Abe and Dr. Paula Rosman, New York (invoice dated March 29, 2015)
Coconut grater stools of this form were used throughout Micronesia and Polynesia, with the user seated astride the stool and drawing a split coconut along a toothed shell edge mounted at the forward end to shred the meat. The Nukuoro examples are distinguished by a sculptural minimalism, a long, curved seat rising to a upswept prow, supported on a rectangular frame that reflects the restrained aesthetic characteristic of this remote coral atoll, whose population has historically numbered under 400. The coconut was the foundation of subsistence and cash economy across Micronesian atolls, providing food, fiber, oil, and the copra trade that connected island communities to broader Pacific markets.
This example shows sustained wear consistent with regular domestic use, and its collection by Jonathan Millet between 1870 and 1880 places it among the earliest documented Nukuoro graters to enter a Western collection. The Rosman provenance adds a further layer of careful custody, and the combination of early collection date, documented ownership history, and the sculptural quality of the form distinguishes this piece within a category where early and well-provenanced examples are seldom encountered.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Nukuoro Atoll, Caroline Islands, Micronesia
19th century
Hardwood, shell grater edge
Height: 13 inches (33 cm); Length: 19 inches (48.3 cm)
Provenance: Collected by Jonathan Millet, 1870–1880; Dr. Abe and Dr. Paula Rosman, New York (invoice dated March 29, 2015)
Coconut grater stools of this form were used throughout Micronesia and Polynesia, with the user seated astride the stool and drawing a split coconut along a toothed shell edge mounted at the forward end to shred the meat. The Nukuoro examples are distinguished by a sculptural minimalism, a long, curved seat rising to a upswept prow, supported on a rectangular frame that reflects the restrained aesthetic characteristic of this remote coral atoll, whose population has historically numbered under 400. The coconut was the foundation of subsistence and cash economy across Micronesian atolls, providing food, fiber, oil, and the copra trade that connected island communities to broader Pacific markets.
This example shows sustained wear consistent with regular domestic use, and its collection by Jonathan Millet between 1870 and 1880 places it among the earliest documented Nukuoro graters to enter a Western collection. The Rosman provenance adds a further layer of careful custody, and the combination of early collection date, documented ownership history, and the sculptural quality of the form distinguishes this piece within a category where early and well-provenanced examples are seldom encountered.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
