Producer unknown to us
Beiju flatbread spatula
Americas, Brazil, Mato Grosso, Upper Xingu
Around 1950
Wood, carved, painted
From the 1950s to the 1970s, Erich Wustmann (ethnologist, author) undertook numerous expeditions and journeys to collect items for museums. He sold the acquired objects to the museums in Leipzig and Dresden.
Purchased by the museum from Wustmann in 1957
SAm 21578
Such flat wooden boards serve as spatulas among communities in the upper Xingu region to flip beiju flatbread in the fire. This piece was carved to resemble a bird, with head and neck serving as the handle. The bird is painted with red urucú, and with black mereschu fish patterns.
A beiju is a small flatbread made from cassava or tapioca flour. The flour is moistened and then baked. Today, beiju have become a typical fast-food dish in Brazil.
Ethnologist and author Erich Wustmann (1907–1994) acquired this piece during an expedition in 1956.
Frank Usbeck