Online catalogue for the 58th tribal art auction

21 Part of a dignitary staff

This object is not available any more.

Solomon Islands

wood, black shiny patina, base in the shape of a stylized figure, without legs and indicated arms, the narrow head with cap-like coiffure, eyes, ear-ornaments, necklace and belt with delicate mother-of-pearl inlay, repeated on the round staff above in three horizontal bands, knob-like handle, slightly dam., pieces of mother-of-pearl inlay missing in some areas, fissures, on metal base

H: 35 cm
H: 13.8 inch

Provenance
Michael Evans, Ferndale, USA

Literature
Newton, Douglas (ed.), Arts of the South Seas, The Collection of the Musée Barbier-Mueller, München, London, New York 1999, p. 282

Price: 1200 - 1800 €

22 Bark painting

This object is not available any more.

Australia, Artist: Yirawala, Aborigine (1905 -1976)

ochre on bark, depiction of two fishes, in profile, one on top of the other, whitened in a thick layer and painted with linear ornaments in red and yellow ochre, inscribed verso "Barramundi Yirrawala 19", stamp "Methodist Mission..." (rest unreadable); the barramundi ("lates calcarifer") is a kind of perch, belonging to the family of the giant perches ("latidae") and appears mainly in Australia. Works of the artist Yirawala were sold at Sotheby's Australia: Sotheby's Sidney, 28.July 2003, lot 82; Sotheby's Melbourne 31. July 2006, lot 67; Sotheby's Melbourne 20. July 2009, lot 28

M: 70 x 56 cm
M: 70 x 22 inch

Sold.

23 Statue of "kerinaiwa"

This object is not available any more.

Australia - Arnhemland

heavy wood, with fork-shaped legs rising from a round base, supporting a flat, waisted trunk, which is flanked by free carved arms, a massive neck carrying a head with u-shaped flattened facial plane and tapering chin, painted with lattice and dot pattern in white, red and yellow, slightly dam., abrasion; this is an effigy of "kerinaiwa", a mighty leader of the Tiwi tribe in the mid-nineteenth century. Kerinaiwa was a fierce warrior, who led raiding expeditions to the mainland stealing woman from the Carakia tribe, a great feat of sea-going in frail stringybark canoes. Kerinaiwa was also a ceremonial leader, and here he is wearing body decorations for the "lukamani", the most important and spectacular ceremony of the Tiwi.

H: 63 cm
H: 24.8 inch

Expertise
Certificate Dorothy Bennett, Australian Aboriginal Art Trust, N. S. W. Australia

Literature
Heermann, Ingrid, Menter, Ulrich, Gemaltes Land, Kunst der Aborigines aus Arnhemland, Australien, Linden-Museum, Stuttgart 1994, p. 84

Sold.

24 Group of nine spears

This object is not available any more.

Australia

two spears, Tiwi group of Melville Island, Northern Territory, l: 132 cm, light wood, with flattened head, the contours toothed or dissolved in barbs, both ornamentally painted; two- or three-pronged fishing spears, two pieces, bamboo, iron, l: 116 cm; one spear with shaft and bamboo tip, L: 125 cm; additional: three spears with elaborate carved tips, l: 143 cm, decorated with kuskus fur and cuffs of yellow orchid bast, Admirality Island (?); one spear, Papua-Neuguinea, l: 137 cm

Literature
Carrick, John (ed.), Art of the first Australians, Ausst.kat., Camperdown o.J., p. 12

Sold.

25 Small female figure

This object is not available any more.

Pakistan, Indus Valley, Mehrgarh

buff clay, dull patina, seated, the elongated trunk provided with big breasts, necklace with pendant around the neck, with the left hand holding a flute, surmounted by a longish head dominated by circular pierced eyes flanking a beak-like nose, coiffure of separately worked strands, dam., missing parts (feet, coiffure), rep. (breast), on base; probably depicting a goddess.

H: 8,5 cm, ~ 2600 - 2500 v. Chr.
H: 3.3 inch, ~ 2600 - 2500 v. Chr.

Provenance
Private Collection, New York, USA

Sold.

26 Winged object

This object is not available any more.

Canada, Inuit, St. Lawrence Island

walrus ivory, pierced several times for insertion of laces for support, decorated with linear incised ornaments and drilled dots, slightly dam., cracks, on metal base; the meaning of these winged objects is not clear up to now. They might have been used to keep the parts of the wooden framing of a kajak together. They could as well have been used as a stabilizer at the base of a harpoon, in order to make the weapon glide on the surface of the water.

L: 16 cm, ca. 500 - 700 AD
L: 6.3 inch, ca. 500 - 700 AD

Provenance
Michael Evans, New Haven, USA

Literature
Bandi, Hans-Georg, Die Kunst der Eskimos auf der St.-Lorenz-Insel in Alaska, Bern 1977, Orbis Pictus 65, p. 32

Sold.

27 Polychrome wood frontlet

This object is not available any more.

North America, Tlingit

wood, black, red, white and turquoise painted, haliotis shell, feathers, a rectangular wooden plate, carved with two heads, arranged on top of each other: a square, bigger one, with a birds head (raven) growing out of its mouth, the nostrils and mouth with shimmering haliotis inlay, giving the face a demoniac effect, and a second, smaller one below, carved with human features and flanked by two arms, the remaining surface of the plate decorated with rich haliotis shell inlay, in various geometrical forms, gorgeous shimmering from blue to green-turquoise and white, the upper rim decorated with quills and downy feathers; the raven plays an important role in Tlingit mythology. He stole the daylight from "Naas-sháki Yéil" or "Naas-sháki Shaan". This old man owns three legendary boxes, containing the stars, the moon and the sun, which the raven let get away. Such myths on creation are common property, in contrast to private family stories, everyone was allowed to tell them. The Tlingit were divided into two main groups or tribal halves (moieties = from french moitié =halves), everyone was born into: the clan of the raven, and the clan of the wolf. The items which were necessary for the numerous rites, belonged to the whole clan. They were used by the shamans, who had influential positions. According to their religion every thing has a soul, correspondingly hunting was accompanied by strict rituals.

H: 19 cm
H: 7.5 inch

Provenance
Robert Duperrier, Paris, France
Marceau Rivière, Paris, France
Randell Gallery, New York, USA

Literature
Indianer Nordamerikas, Schätze des Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation, Ausst.kat., Köln 1969, ill. 24 f.
Christie's New York, American Indian Art, Monday 13 January 2003, ill. 198

Sold.

28 Frog dish

This object is not available any more.

North America, Tlingit

wood, brown patina, painted in red and black, rising from four legs, the upper side hollowed, collection number on the underside "225.56 Tlingit", slightly dam., crack, place of repair (left foreleg)

L: 26 cm, 19. Jh.
L: 10.2 inch, 19. Jh.

Provenance
Alex Gordon, New York, USA

Literature
Haberland, Wolfgang, Donnervogel und Raubwal, Die indianische Kunst der Nordwestküste Nordamerikas, Ausst.kat., Hamburg 1979, p. 146, G-7, ähnliches Objekt im Denver Art Museum, USA

Price: 1500 - 2300 €

29 Pendant of a priests necklace

This object is not available any more.

Mexico

greenstone, in the shape of a lip plug, oval, with a hole in the centre, pierced on the back for attachment, rare !

B: 7,5 cm; H: 4 cm
B: 3 inch; H: 1.6 inch

Sold.

30 Textile

This object is not available any more.

Peru, Nazca

camelid (?) wool, of rectangular form, consisting of red, green, black and yellow squares, sewn together, repaired, stretched on a frame; the Nazca culture developed gradually from the preceding Paracas culture on the south coast of Peru.The Nazcas did not built enormous cities but agricultural production was high due to an extensive and partially underground irrigation system. Power was in the hands of an elite consisting of locally organized warriors and priests who were related through intermarriage. Nazca culture is famous for its geoglyphs, figurative depictions of flora and fauna and of different geometrical patterns of straight lines which can be found in the desert. They were related to the east-west supply of water from the mountains, and to the observation of stars. They also had a practical function as landmarks.

M: 127 x 77 cm, ~300 B.C. - 600 A.D.
M: 127 x 30.3 inch, ~300 B.C. - 600 A.D.

Expertise
Certificate of authenticity by America Antigua, Amsterdam, 25.11. 2008

Literature
Ampe, Patrick & Rie, Textile Art, A personal choice, Antwerpen 1994, ill. 59

Price: 3200 - 4800 €