LDBDA : 1169

chew stick

3 siwack twigs used as toothbrushes,one end of each has had the bark stripped from it and made fibrous.

Chewsticks are used in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America, sometimes for religious reasons but also because of their low cost and easy availability. Approximately 182 plant species from around the world have been used to make chewsticks. The stick is chewed briefly to fray the end and then this is used as a brush to clean the teeth. Worn bristles can be cut away and new ones prepared by further chewing.

wood; length 240mm; length 220mm; length 265mm