Online catalogue for the 57th tribal art auction with special part 'Wunderkammer Naturalia'

11 Big pike (Esox)

This object is not available any more.

Curiosities

preserved, capital specimen (l: 97 cm), presented in a showcase (112 x 51 cm) with a painted background, real stones and dried plants, old label on the back: "H. Murray & Son, Naturalists & Taxidermists. 6/8, Scotland Road, Carnforth, Lancs, Established 1872, Sporting Trophies a Speciality", additionally some photos of the object, in a good state of preservation; although generally known as a "sporting" quarry, most anglers release pike they have caught because the flesh is considered bony, especially due to the substantial (epipleural) "Y-bones". However, the larger fish are more easily filleted, and pike have a long and distinguished history in cuisine and are popular fare in Europe. Historical references to cooking pike go as far back as the Romans. Fishing for pike is said to be very exciting with their aggressive hits and aerial acrobatics. Pike are among the largest freshwater fish.

Sold.

12 Piranha

This object is not available any more.

Curiosities

preserved, with opened mouth showing pointed teeth, min. dam., minor missing parts, on wooden base; a piranha or piraña is a member of a family of omnivorous freshwater fish which live in South American rivers. In Venezuelan rivers they are called caribes. They are known for their sharp teeth and a voracious appetite for meat. A piranha reaches an age up to 15 years, living in aquaria they can reach up to 30 years.

L: 17 cm; H: 8 cm
L: 6.7 inch; H: 3.1 inch

Literature
Gonella, Hans, Faszination Piranhas, Ruhmannsfelden 1998, p. 58

Sold.

13 Puffer fish (Arathron stellatus)

This object is not available any more.

Curiosities

preserved, entirely coated with small stings, the teeth forming a parrotbeak-like snout, seam on the back; puffer fish belong to the most poisonous vertebrate in the world. The skin and certain internal organs of many tetraodontidae are highly toxic to humans, but nevertheless the meat of some species is considered a delicacy in both Japan (as "fugu") and Korea (as "bok-uh"). If one is caught while fishing, it is recommended that thick gloves are worn to avoid poisoning and getting bitten when removing the hook. Adults of this species reach a size up to 1,20 m. Their skin has no scales but is totally covered with small spines. brought to Germany before 1914 within the scope of missinonary work.

L: 55 cm
L: 21.7 inch

Sold.

14 Porcupine fish (Diodontidae)

This object is not available any more.

Curiosities

preserved, the bowl-shaped body coated with long stings, min. dam.; they are sometimes confused with pufferfish. Porcupine fish are closely related to puffer fishes but porcupine fish have heavier spines (reminiscent of porcupines) on their body. Also unlike the puffer fishes, they have only a single plate of fused teeth in each of the upper and lower jaws.

L: 17 cm
L: 6.7 inch

Literature
de Couet, Heinz Gert, Moosleitner, Horst, Gefährliche Meerestiere, Hamburg 1981, p. 131

Sold.

15 Fish skeleton

This object is not available any more.

Curiosities

preserved, of rather compact form, showing a high back crest and strut vertical fins, because of its dentition probably belonging to non predatory fish, in a good state of preservation

L: 16,5 cm
L: 6.5 inch

Sold.

16 Fish skeleton

This object is not available any more.

Curiosities

preserved, of streamlined shape, showing an opened mouth, because of the pointed teeth probably deriving from a predatory fish, very elaborate work

L: 22,5 cm
L: 8.9 inch

Sold.

17 Butterfly fish skeleton (Forcipiger longirostris)

This object is not available any more.

Curiosities

preserved, showing a high back crest and a beak-like mouth, min. dam., mounted in a wooden frame; skeletons of fish show the same common structural features like other vertebrates: skull, spine, extremeties and tail. The extremities are altered to fins.

L: 16,5 cm
L: 6.5 inch

Sold.

18 Sword of a sawfish (pristis pectinatus)

This object is not available any more.

Curiosities

kind of shark ray, example of unusual size, complete with 32 teeth; the teeth are relicts of fish scales, they were used as arrow heads or awls. Women used them for knotting nets for fishing. Sawfish can be found along the shore and estuarys of broad rivers, where they were hunted by the Asmat, not only because of their flesh; because of the danger of hunting rays (they are said to attack their opponents when they were wounded) the swords are kept as hunting trophees (alike boar tusks or parts of cassowarys).

L: 92,5 cm, coll. in situ 1960 on a world tour
L: 36.4 inch, coll. in situ 1960 on a world tour

Provenance
Private Collection, Germany

Literature
Helfrich, Klaus u.a., Asmat, Mythos und Kunst im Leben mit den Ahnen, Musuem für Völkerkunde, Berlin 1996, p. 50, ill. 2.42

Sold.

19 Shark dentition

This object is not available any more.

Curiosities

preserved, of oval form, an opened mouth with several rows of small pointed teeth, min. dam., tip of the teeth partly missing; sharks have a so-called revolver dentition that means they have several sets of replaceable teeth arranged in rows behind each other to replace lost teeth.

B: 26
B: 26

Sold.

20 Shark dentition

This object is not available any more.

Curiosities

preserved, of oval, slightly asymmetrical form, showing several rows of pointed teeth, covered with a kind of lacquer, min. dam., tips of the teeth partly missing; sharks range in size from the small dwarf lanternshark (Etmopterus perryi), a deep sea species of only 17 cm in length, to the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), the largest fish, which grows to a length of approximately 12 m and which feeds only on plankton, squid, and small fish through filter feeding.

B: 18 cm; H: 19 cm
B: 7.1 inch; H: 7.5 inch

Sold.