Online catalogue for the 68th tribal art auction

1 Standing zoomorphic figure "hanuman"

This object is not available any more.

Indonesia

wood, polychrome paint, partly encrusted patina, carved with elaborate clothing and jewellery, right arm raised, long tail at the back, min. dam., cracks, traces of abrasion; "hanuman" is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine, whose fate it is to aid the hero Rama in the struggle against the demon king Ravana.

H: 44 cm
H: 17.3 inch

Price: 800 - 1500 €

2 Theater mask

This object is not available any more.

Indonesia

wood, painted in white, accents in black, red and gold, well-rounded forms, without lower jaw, beautiful curved brows and narrow slit eyes with tear drops, rep. (left rim), yellowed, slightly blotched, inscribed on the back "Dojok Semar"; the javanese theater as a whole goes back to the buffalo-skin figures of "wayang purwa", especially on the round figures of "wayang golek".

H: 15 cm
H: 5.9 inch

Sold.

3 Trophee skull

This object is not available any more.

Indonesia - Borneo, Dayak

human skull without lower jaw, polished, incised ornamental and floral decorations, hole in the head, remains of rattan plait in the area of the nose, min. dam., minor missing parts (teeth); in former times some of the Dayak people were dreaded headhunters. For religious reasons they used to keep the enemy skulls and display them in their naves. By headhunting the Dayak warrior proved his virility and was able to take possession of the killed enemies soul. A wide-spread motif for headhunting was the animist belief, that the slained had to follow his murder in the herafter as slave.

H: 15 cm
H: 5.9 inch

Provenance
Elisabeth Grünwald, Grenoble, France (1972)

Literature
Headhunters and Woodcarvers, from the Francois Coppens Collection, Arnhem 2000, p. 67, ill. 66

Sold.

4 Sword "mandau"

This object is not available any more.

Indonesia - Borneo, Dayak

the hilt wrapped with plaited plant fibre strings, horn knob, elaborate carved with figural and ornamental motifs and set with tufts of animal hair, pointed iron blade, two-parted wooden scabbard decorated with elaobrate ornaments, min. dam., slight traces of corrosion and abrasion; used for head hunting and as a machete in daily life.

L: 63,5 cm
L: 25 inch

Literature
van Zonneveld, A.G., Traditional weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago, Leiden 2001, p. 87

Sold.

5 Male ancestor figure "adu nuwu" or "adu zatua"

This object is not available any more.

Indonesia - Nias

light brown wood, black paint, high towering crown-shaped head ornament with coiled fern ornaments "ni 'o wöli wöli" and ear ornament, min. dam., traces of insect caused damage, cracks, on wooden base; the people of Nias believe that the spirits of the dead have supernatural power and that they are able to influence the living in a positive or negative way. By venerating "adu zatua", wooden images carved in their likeness, they try to appease the spirits and keep them well-disposed.

H: 49,5 cm
H: 19.5 inch

Provenance
Old Dutch Collection

Literature
Nias, Tribal Treasures, Delft 1990, p. 203

Price: 4000 - 7000 €

6 Bullet retainer "baba ni onggang"

This object is not available any more.

Indonesia - Sumatra, Batak

wood, shiny brown patina, black paint remains, of curved form with slits on either side, carved with an anthropomorphic face and elaborate decoration, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion, on base; for keeping the bullets needed for hunting and in case of war. In shape of a hornbill beak. With two fingers on both sides of the "beak" the bullets could easily be pulled out.

H: 19,5 cm
H: 7.7 inch

Literature
Sibeth, Achim, Mit den Ahnen leben, Stuttgart 1990, p. 161 f.

Price: 1200 - 2500 €

7 Pair of "singa" heads

This object is not available any more.

Indonesia - Sumatra, Batak

light-coloured wood, polychrome paint, in form of zoomorphic "singa" heads, trunk, big ears and horns recognizable, covered with ornamental decor in flat relief, min. dam., minor missing parts, traces of abrasion; such heads originally were parts of beams used to support the roof of a rice granary. They probably represent the mythical snake, "naga pahoda", a supernatural being incorporated into the belief system of Southeast Asian cultures that were influenced by ancient Indian religion. These heads served a protective function for crops and harvested grain.

L: 112 cm; B: 43 cm
L: 44.1 inch; B: 16.9 inch

Literature
Jay, Sian, Art of the Ancestors, Nias, Batak, Dayak, London 2007, p. 38 f.

Sold.

8 Standing janus figure

This object is not available any more.

Nepal

wood, dark brown patina, hands in praying gesture, on the reverse side a third figure indicated, slightly dam., missing parts, cracks, paint rubbed off, on plate; people of the Himalaya create wooden deities for protection against invisible evil spirits. They were placed nearby natural founts, bridges, temples or on rooftops and serve to guarantee the well-being of the family, the village community and the living environment.

H: 40,5 cm
H: 15.9 inch

Price: 900 - 1800 €

9 Standing figure

This object is not available any more.

Nepal

wood, dark brown, partly shiny patina, arms in flat relief, showing a praying gesture, simplified facial features, min. dam., minor missing parts, on base

H: 22,5 cm
H: 8.9 inch

Price: 400 - 800 €

10 Shrine stela

This object is not available any more.

Southern Nepal, Satar

heavy wood, greyish brown patina, lengthwise halved trunk, flattened to the front, the figural forms carved in contours, facial features, hands and breast ornament cut in linear grooves, slightly dam., cracks, traces of weathering (above all at the base); wooden figures of the Himalayas are made by shamans until nowadays. They have various meanings, above all protective function: they guard bridges, natural founts, tracks and cross-ways, as well as the peoples dwellings. Sculptures in pairs are made on the occasion of weddings. Others are made when a beloved person leaves home, when a young men joins the army for example. The figures are placed on the family shrine, they are venerated in order to protect the soldier. Furtheron there are commemorative figures for deceased ancestors and votive figures.

H: 82 cm
H: 32.3 inch

Price: 1800 - 3500 €