Online catalogue for the 65th tribal art auction

31 Food bowl in shape of a bird

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Huon Gulf, Tami Islands

wood, dark brown patina, of oval form, tapering on both sides, linear incised decor, accentuated with white pigment, slightly dam., paint rubbed off; the Huon gulf is part of a vast trade network known as the Vitiaz Strait Trade System, involving long canoe trips through the area for the purpose of commerce: clay pots produced in the Markham Valley go to New Britain, obsidian from New Britain goes to Siassi Island and wooden bowls from the Tami Islands are distributed throughout the coastal areas.

L: 61 cm
L: 24 inch

Literature
Meyer, Anthony J.P., Ozeanische Kunst, Vol. I, Köln 1995, p. 159 f.

Price: 2500 - 5000 €

32 Overmodeled ancestor skull

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea, Iatmul, Palimbei

human skull, white paint, red and black pigment, nassa snails, conus shell disc, human hair, prominent nose, painted with symmetrical arranged, curvilinear ornaments, old collection number "1714" backside, slightly dam., minor missing parts (mouth), cracks, on pedestal; the modeling paste, which is called "yiba" consists of red clay, lime and tigasso oil. The overmodeling was performed in the men's house by a man who was not in a special kin relationship to the deceased, his modeling skills alone were important. The paste was applied directly to the forehead and the top, with the back of the skull left bare. The cranial openings were blocked with pieces of light and soft wood. The shape of the nose was formed from a strip of rattan. Then the paste was evenly distributed over the face and the features of the deceased reproduced as true to life as possible. Overnight the work in progress was left in the men's house on a rack as the spirit of the deceased was thought to come and check it. The overmodeled skull was then left to dry for two days before being painted. After that the mortuary ceremonies could begin. They consist of three parts: "kytakamat", "minsago" and the quiet singing "yiken kudi". All parts were staged in the former dwelling house of the deceased.

H: ca. 28 cm
H: ca. 11 inch

Provenance
Wayne Heathcote, Australia/USA, (coll. in situ, 1970)
Coll. J. R. Folch, Barcelona, Spain
Coll. G. Gili - R. Amoros, Barcelona, Spain

Published in
E. Serra, A. Folch, Arte de Papua y Nueva Guinea, Poligrafa, Barcelona 1976, p. 137

Literature
Aufderheide, Arthur C. (ed.), Overmodeled skulls, Duluth 2009, p. 85 f.

Sold.

33 Standing male ancestor figure

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Sepik, Turubu estuary

wood, middle brown patina, traces of black paint, conical-shaped headgear with abstract quadruped rising, prominent male gender, collection label, slightly dam., cracks, minor missing parts, abrasion, on plate; large male figures portray primordial ancestors or represent great mythical cultural heros. Figures of this type belong to important individuals. When solicited, the ancestor speaks out through the owner to whom he has appeared in a dream. Presentation of the young men to the ancestor figures forms an important part of the initiation ritual.

H: 107 cm
H: 42.1 inch

Provenance
Coll. Georg Höltker, Bonn, Germany
Missionsmuseum St. Augustin, Bonn, Germany (Inventory number "71.10.2", copy of inventory card available)

Sold.

34 Ancestor spirit mask

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Sepik

wood, painted in red, the deepened eye zone painted in black, eyes with conus shell discs, spots, slightly dam.; in the Lower Sepik area, it is generally accepted that long pointed noses represent spiritual beings while short naturalistic ones portray true ancestors.

H: 37 cm
H: 14.6 inch

Sold.

35 Headrest in shape of a stylized animal

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Sepik

wood, middle brown patina with remains of black paint, four angled struts supporting a pillow carved with zoomorphic mask faces, decorated with notched and incised ornaments, slightly dam., on base

H: 19 cm; B: 64 cm
H: 7.5 inch; B: 25.2 inch

Provenance
Pitt-Rivers-Museum, Oxford, Great Britain
Alex Arthur, Brussels, Belgium
Gallery Joris Visser, Brussels, Belgium

Literature
Meyer, Anthony J.P., Ozeanische Kunst, Vol. I, Köln 1995, p. 195, ill. 204

Sold.

36 Tapper

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Sepik

wood, blackish brown patina, flat beating area with curvilinear ornaments on the upper side, habile handle with knob in shape of an animal head, slightly dam., traces of usage (beating area)

L: 33 cm
L: 13 inch

Provenance
Jaap Hillenius, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Price: 250 - 500 €

37 Suspension hook

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Sepik

wood, dark brown patina, painted with white and red pigment, anchor-shaped hook, carved with a stylized anthropomorphic head, the eyes with worm casing inlay, eyelet for support, slightly dam., minor missing parts, on metal base; suspension hooks are "household articles" in Melanesia. They were fixed to the ceiling by lianas and could be pulled up and down, thus being used to hang up baskets and nets with food in order to protect them against mice and rats.

H: 58 cm
H: 22.8 inch

Provenance
Coll. James Thomas Hooper, Arundel, Great Britain

Sold.

38 Suspension hook

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Sepik

wood, blackish brown patina, anchor-shaped arranged hooks, the corpus carved with a stylized human figure, drilled hole for suspension on top, encrusted patina, blackened with soot, slightly dam.; hooks of this kind, elaborate carved with ancestors and mythical beings, were situated at meeting places for men.

H: 68 cm
H: 26.8 inch

Provenance
Ludwig Bretschneider, Munich, Germany

Sold.

39 Standing male ancestor figure

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Yuat River

wood, blackish brown patina, eyes with nassa snail inlay, body with closed contours and symmetrical arranged limbs, hands and feet circular flattened, the foot zone affiliated with the base, slightly dam., small traces of insect caused damage, cracks, abrasion (above all backside), on block-like base; the Yuat River, with its agressive people and powerful art forms, marks the uppermost boundary of the Lower Sepik style. Smaller figures like the present embody spiritual ancestors which were placed on the spire of the Men's House. They were accompanied by short, hunched male figures with extremely large heads which represented the major spirits and were placed at the top end of the sacred flutes through which they "spoke".

H: 58 cm
H: 22.8 inch

Provenance
Gallery Dalton - Somaré, Milan, Italy
Private Collection, Switzerland

Literature
Meyer, Anthony J.P., Ozeanische Kunst, Vol. I, Köln 1995, p. 211 f.

Price: 1500 - 3000 €

40 Headboard panel of a bed

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Bismarck Archipelago - Admirality Islands

wood, reddish brown patina, white pigment, black paint, a flat, slightly curved panel, carved with two stylized anthropomorphic figures in horizontal arrangement, crocodile head on both sides, incised ornamental decor, accentuated with black paint and white pigment rubbed into the deepenings, min. dam., rep. (wrists and ankles of one of the stylized figures), on metal base; the figures represent ancestoral spirits, depicted together with the omnipresent crocodile.

B: 65 cm, early 20th century
B: 25.6 inch, early 20th century

Provenance
Michael Auliso, San Francisco, USA
Old Collection, The Netherlands

Price: 1200 - 2000 €