Online catalogue for the 66th tribal art auction

61 Male ancestor figure

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Sepik

wood, dark brown patina, expressive form, above all in profile: a slender body with curved back rising from legs with pointed knees and round calves, the nose formed like a beak ("beak style"), slightly dam., cracks, rep. (base), metal plate

H: 68,5 cm
H: 27 inch

Provenance
Aalderink, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Price: 1000 - 2000 €

62 Ancestor spirit mask

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Sepik

wood, reddish brown patina, remains of kaolin, of oval elongated form, a long beak-like nose, drilled holes around the rim, min. dam., missing parts through insect caused damage at the back, slight traces of abrasion; in the Sepik Area, it is generally accepted that long pointed noses represent spiritual beings while short naturalistic ones portray true ancestors.This mask could represent a mythical spirit called "tangbwal". These spirits were called forth to regulate the food supply in preparation for ceremonial feasts. For about three or four months masked dancers would appear in the village. They would issue and enforce a ban on the collecting of coconuts so that a sufficient quantity would be available for the forthcoming event. When enough coconuts had ripened the "tangbwal" left the village on a mythical vessel.

H: 52 cm
H: 20.5 inch

Provenance
Christie's Amsterdam, Dec 7th 1998, lot 252

Literature
Meyer, Anthony J.P., Ozeanische Kunst, Vol. I, Köln 1995, p. 182 f.

Sold.

63 Figural suspension hook

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Sepik

wood, dark brown patina, red pigment, a high towering female ancestor figure, rising from a sickle-shaped base, the oval flattened facial plane characterized by slanting eyes and accentuated nostrils, incised zigzag-ornaments on the upper part of the body, eyelet for support at the back of the head, slightly dam., cracks, metal base; food and other valuables were kept in bags and baskets which were suspended from the rafters of the building by means of two- or three-pronged hooks. While utilitarian hooks were only rarely carved, those used in the Men's House were elaborately sculpted as representations of important ancestors and mythological beings.

H: 103 cm
H: 40.6 inch

Provenance
Private Collection, Germany
Michel Gaud, Saint Tropez, France

Sold.

64 Headrest

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Sepik

wood, reddish brown patina, elegant form: a slightly hollowed pillow, supported by a massive rectangular intermediate piece with two stylized toucan heads on either side, slightly dam., abrasion, traces of use

B: 30 cm; H: 10,5 cm
B: 11.8 inch; H: 4.1 inch

Price: 900 - 1200 €

65 Stool

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Sepik

wood, light brown patina, a rectangular seat rising from angled legs, combined by a crossbar at the base, incised linear and notched decor, slightly dam., traces of old age and weathering; just like the neckrests even the small stools are likely to have been used only temporary. The fact, that they were kept in the spirit houses, rather refers to a ritual usage.

H: 19 cm; B: 29 cm
H: 7.5 inch; B: 11.4 inch

Provenance
Elisabeth Verhey, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Literature
Aumann, Georg, Kunst und Kunsthandwerk aus Neu Guinea, Coburg 1986, p. 100

Price: 500 - 1000 €

66 Hand-drum "kundu"

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Sepik

wood, dark brown patina, white pigment, drum-skin and rotan ring intact, the fine incisions on both sides representing the gaping jaws of two crocodiles, the handle carved with two long-nosed spirit figures, slightly dam., crack; the corpus of the drum has been hollowed with glowing logs in a procedure lasting for weeks and months. Afterwards the surface was smoothened with the skin of saw fish or rough leaves.

H: 44 cm
H: 17.3 inch

Sold.

67 Overmodeled ancestor skull

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Middle Sepik

human skull, the paste, consisting of red clay, lime and tigasso oil is distributed over the face, painted curvilinear ornaments recognizable underneath the greyish brown patina, shell casing as eyes, a diadem-like head band of nassa snails and shell disc, black cotton thread as coiffure, slightly dam., missing parts (both ears), hairline cracks, some nassa snails missing; the ancestor skull was collected in situ by the french medical doctor Christian Jonville on his first world tour 1963 - 65. It was acquired on exchange during a boat trip on the river Sepik (a typewritten record by Dr. Jonville is available). In the magazine Paris Match, no 859, 25 Septembre 1965, an article on Jonvilles world tour was published (p. 78-85). 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: 21 cm
H: 8.3 inch

Provenance
Dr. Christian Jonville, Paris, France

Literature
Aufderheide, Arthur C. (ed.), Overmodeled skulls, Duluth 2009, p. 82

Sold.

68 Spear with obsidian tip

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Bismarck Archipelago - Admirality Islands

wooden shaft, the osidian tip fixed by parinarium nut paste, coix-seeds impressed, min. dam., cracks, traces of usage; because of the fine decoration probably more a spear for dancing than fighting.

L: 169 cm
L: 66.5 inch

Provenance
Coll. Mann, Leipzig, Germany

Literature
Ohnemus, Sylvia, Zur Kultur der Admiralitäts-Insulaner in Melanesien, Basel 1996, p. 359, ill. 432

Sold.

69 Spear with obsidian tip

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Bismarck Archipelago - Admirality Islands

wooden shaft, intact obsidian tip, fixed with parinarium nut paste, ornamental decorated by threads, painted in red and black, coix-seeds impressed, min. dam., slight traces of usage

L: 160,5 cm
L: 63.2 inch

Provenance
Coll. Mann, Leipzig, Germany

Sold.

70 Wing-shaped side-ornaments

This object is not available any more.

Papua New Guinea - Bismarck Archipelago - New Ireland

light-weighted wood, red, white and black pigment, phantastic being with arms, forehead crest and eyes with Turbo phetolatus opercula inlay (replaced), partly in openwork design, places of repair, missing parts; wing-shaped side-ornaments of a "malagan" head or a "tatanua" mask. The "tatanua" is one of the many dances and ritual complexes incorporated in the large-scale mortuary celebrations for which New Ireland is noted.

H: 20,5 - 24 cm
H: 20,5 - 9.4 inch

Provenance
Prof. Wolfgang Panzer, Heidelberg/Mainz, Germany, collected in situ 1931
Coll. Prof. Georg Elwert, Berlin, Germany (1993)

Literature
Lincoln, Louise, Assemblage of Spirits, 1987, p. 63 f.

Sold.