Online catalogue for the 63rd tribal art auction with special part 'wunderkammer'

151 Standing male ancestor figure "moai tangata"

This object is not available any more.

Easter Island

wood ("sophora toromiro"), blackish brown patina, rising from striking small feet, blade and collarbones, as well as the appendages of the thighs especially accentuated, tail-like projection along the spine, the area of eyes and chin reminding of a skulls bone structure, slightly dam., crack (back of the head, left thigh), cubic base; the great cultural heroe Tuu Ko Ihu created the first "moai kavakava" as the representation of deified ancestral beings or "akuaku". The "akuaku" are givers of knowledge and disseminators of information and expertise, and represent the direct link with the first ancestors. The "moai kavakava" females counterpart is "moai papa", depicting the earth mother. Present figure represents "moai tangata", a real ancestor. The "toromiro" tree which supplied the wood for sacred carvings is extinct nowadays.

H: 49 cm
H: 19.3 inch

Provenance
Galerie D' Eendt, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Literature
Meyer, Anthony J.P., Ozeanische Kunst, Vol. II, Köln 1995, p. 581 f.
Hooper, Steven, Pacific Encounters, Art Divinity in Polynesia 1760-1860, Norwich 2006, p. 145, ill. 91

Price: 8000 - 15000 €

152 Bark painting: Female creative genius "ngalkunburriyaymi"

This object is not available any more.

Australia - Arnhemland

bark, red ochre, black and white pigment, figure of spectral shape with thin, angled limbs and skull-like head, the body filled with lattice pattern (so called "x-ray" style), min. dam., fixed on wooden plate with fabric coating; a work of the artist Nguinguin (Yunyu-Un) from the Kunwinjku tribe, from the area of Maragalidban, Arnhemland. "Ngalkunburriyaymi" is an inventive genius of female nature, who once created food and water. Before her was "yingana", who is depicted as bisexual snake in ancient cave-paintings. She gave birth to "ngalyod", the rainbow snake and the genius "ngalkunburriyaymi". Both are depicted as snake and in human shape as well. Arnhemland is the centre of bark painting, which goes back on cave-painting, paintings on bone receptacles or bark panels, which served as rain shields, as well as on ritual body painting.

M: 99 x 29 cm
M: 99 x 11.4 inch

Exposed in
Galerie Zacke, Stammeskunst aus Ozeanien, Arnhemland (Aboriginesmalerei) und Orissa, 14. Okt.-27. Nov. 1993, Vienna, Austria, cat. 51

Sold.

153 Tjuringa

This object is not available any more.

Australia

wood, shiny middle brown patina, lancet-shaped, flattened, both sides decorated with incised circle ornaments, min. dam.; "tjuringas" represent one of the most sacred items of the aborigines. Every adult man ownes his personal "tjuringa", embodying the totem spirit of its owner.

L: 79 cm
L: 31.1 inch

Literature
Brüll, M., Die Kultur der Traumzeit, Museum für Völkerkunde Freiburg o. J., p. 80 f.

Sold.

154 Shield

This object is not available any more.

Australia

wood (bean tree?), red ochre, slightly vaulted, stone cut linear grooves, old collection number in white paint backside underneath the handle "A 321", cracks, missing parts at the rim; the thin parrying shields were used to deflect clubs and boomerangs; the broader shields were a protection from spears. The finished shield was rubbed with animal fat to prevent cracking.

H: 64 cm, ~ 1900
H: 25.2 inch, ~ 1900

Literature
Brüll, M., Die Kultur der Traumzeit, Museum für Völkerkunde Freiburg o. J., p. 69, ill. 64
Carrick, John (ed.), Art of the first Australians, Ausst.kat., Camperdown o.J., p. 15

Sold.

155 Shield

This object is not available any more.

Australia - Arnhemland

wood, red ochre, white pigment, vaulted, lense-shaped in cross-section, handle backside, coated with a fine fluted zigzag pattern, painted with stripes in white colour, slightly dam., cracks, minor missing parts at the rim, places of repair on both ends (spread with resin-like mass); each member of Aboriginal society was able to produce the various objects needed for daily use, although some were more skilful than others. In some areas the necessary raw material was not available and groups traded with their neighbours for either the raw material or the finished product.

L: 68 cm, ~ 1900
L: 26.8 inch, ~ 1900

Sold.

156 Shield

This object is not available any more.

Australia

wood, of elongated oval form, the planar shield proportionally broad, coated with a fine fluted pattern, jagged on the front side, consistently vertical on the backside, red ochre rubbed into the deepenings, handle backside, dam., cracks, missing parts at the rim, place of repair at the same place

L: 83 cm, B: 16,5 cm, ~ 1900
L: 32.7 inch, B: 6.5 inch, ~ 1900

Sold.

157 Two shields

This object is not available any more.

Australia

wood, red ochre resp. dark brown patina, half-spherical vaulted protective shields of elongated oval form, on both sides coated with a fine fluted pattern, both of them wearing "fire-making grooves", both inscribed with old collection numbers backside "A 24" and "A 25", both showing damages and minor missing parts, as well as rubbed off paint in some areas

H: 61 cm und 77 cm, ~ 1900
H: 24 inch und 30.3 inch, ~ 1900

Literature
Carrick, John (ed.), Art of the first Australians, Ausst.kat., Camperdown o.J., p. 16, ill. 206

Sold.

158 Parrying shield "wunda"

This object is not available any more.

Australia

wood, red and black pigments, of elongated oval form, slightly vaulted, decorated with incised zigzag-shaped ornaments, accentuated by red and black pigments rubbed into the deepenings, handle on the backside, min. dam., slight traces of usage

L: 65 cm
L: 25.6 inch

Provenance
Private Collection, West Australia

Literature
Brüll, M., Die Kultur der Traumzeit, Museum für Völkerkunde Freiburg o. J., p. 73

Sold.

159 Parrying shield

This object is not available any more.

Australia

heavy wood, reddish brown shiny patina, even called cane shield, with diamond-shaped cross-section, carved handle backside, inscribed in white paint "A 09", slightly dam., cracks, minor missing parts (rims)

L: 64 cm, ~ 1900
L: 25.2 inch, ~ 1900

Literature
Carrick, John (ed.), Art of the first Australians, Ausst.kat., Camperdown o.J., p. 18

Sold.

160 Spear thrower and messenger stick

This object is not available any more.

Australia

wood, red pigment, thorn thrower in vaulted form with a wooden plug fixed with plant fibre on top, club-shaped ending modelled with clay-like mass, slightly dam. (rim), paint rubbed off; additional: messenger stick, net-like coated with incised zigzag pattern, knob-shaped top with traces of blackish mass

L: 90 cm
L: 35.4 inch

Literature
Carrick, John (ed.), Art of the first Australians, Ausst.kat., Camperdown o.J., p. 14, ill. 149

Sold.