Art For Sale Archive - Page 2 of 48 - Oceanic Arts Australia

A Superb Old New Guinea Korwar Canoe Ornament Geelvink Bay West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia.

A Superb Old New Guinea Korwar Canoe Ornament Geelvink Bay West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia. Dating from the late 19th to very early 20th century

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This finely carved old Canoe Prow Ornament is from the Geelvink Bay area on the North Coast of West Papua, Indonesia. It was placed at the very front of the canoe. When I field collected this canoe ornament 39 years ago it was being kept by a family as an heirloom carving from their Great Grandfather, these heirloom carvings were kept by families and used as wedding dowries as an important cultural artwork. This Canoe Ornament in the field photo is the same ( see attached photo)

They said it was off a large type of ocean-going war canoe that is no longer made due to the use of aluminum boats that don’t take months for a community to build as was done with dugout tree canoes made in earlier generations. This is the finest and largest Geelvink Bay Canoe Ornament I collected in the 6 months of traveling in this area, I stayed with many families who treated me with great kindness & hospitality.

The fine open-work carving shows the great skill of the carver & at the top are two large Korwar Ancestor Heads, one with remnants of cassowary feathers that were to depict hair. This Northwest part of the island of New Guinea had plenty of trade links with SE Asia, especially with the Moluccu Islands in Eastern Indonesia where many shared designs have come from.

It comes on a custom steel display stand that makes it look like it’s floating.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art Biography Here https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/art-for-sale/oceanic-art-society-interview-by-margaret-cassidy/

See my new Exhibitions Gallery Here EXHIBITIONS GALLERY showing the Museums and Art Galleries Exhibitions that I provided artworks for over the past 40 years. There is the link to the article about my artworks published in the prestigious Louvre Magazine in 1996

I have artwork for Museums and art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery. I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specializes in New Guinea and Oceanic Art. Sydney is very close to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbors.

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A Superb Old New Guinea Canoe Prow Ornament Asmat People West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia

A Superb Old New Guinea Asmat Canoe Prow Ornament from the South Coast of West Papua (Irian Jaya) Indonesia

See my Canoe Prow Gallery Here: https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/fine-tribal-art/new-guinea-tribal-art-oceanic-art/canoe-ornaments/

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This fine old Asmat Sculpture was once on the front of a large war canoe that could hold about 20 to 25 warriors standing up and paddling. Finely carved by an Asmat Master Carver or Wow Ipitsj in the form of two rows of seated Asmat Ancestors. When on the canoe the orientation would be horizontal but as a sculpture, I like this way. The Ancestor Figures depicted look like a group of people sitting in a canoe. The canoe & canoe prow ornament were often carved from a single large tree and the other rare type of Canoe Prow like this example was tied to the front of the canoe.

The Asmat relation to trees is part of their creation mythology where the creator Fumeripitsj was lonely so he carved the first Asmat people from a tree & brought them to life by playing his drum.

The Asmat people and their art became well known when Michael Clark Rockefeller who was collecting Asmat Art was presumed dead there in November 1961. The artworks he collected are still beautifully displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

This Canoe Prow along with other artworks was collected by Todd Barlin over 2 years from 1985-1986, most of these artworks are now in major museum collections around the world including The Musee du Quai Branly Museum in Paris. When you walk into the Oceanic Art Pavilion the first thing you see are monumental Ancestor Poles from the Asmat & Mimika along with a Soul Boat, Shields, and Dance Costumes from the Asmat & Mimika, all of those artworks were collected at the same time as this Canoe Prow.

Photos above of the groundbreaking exhibition “The Asmat & Mimika” at The National Museum of African & Oceanic Art in Paris 1996 now part of The Musee du Quai Branly Museum.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art . See my Biography Here https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/art-for-sale/oceanic-art-society-interview-by-margaret-cassidy/

See my new Exhibtion Galleries Here: EXHIBITIONS GALLERY showing the Museums and Art Galleries Exhibitions that I provided artworks for over the past 40 years. There is the link to the article about my artworks published in the prestigious Louvre Magazine in 1996

INQUIRE HERE

If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us

A Fine Old Solomon Islands Carved Shark Man Figure Star Harbour Area Makira Island Collected c.1960s

A Fine Old Solomon Islands Carved Shark Man Figure Star Harbour Area Makira Island in the SE Solomon Islands Collected c.1960s

See all of my Galleries & Sub Galleries here: https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/fine-tribal-art/

This finely carved figure of the Shark Man Deity is named Karemanua. Carved from a single piece of hardwood, the figure looks animated, like he swimming fast through the water. The shell inlay is typical to most of the ceremonial objects in this area of Star Harbour & the neighboring small Islands of Santa Anna Owa Raha & Santa Catalina Owa riki

I spent several months visiting the villages in this area and in 1985 these were very traditional, especially Santa Catalina Owa riki which still had many traditional artists making fine ceremonial artworks. I personally love Solomon Islands Art and have been collecting artworks from the Solomon Islands for 40 years. I have quite several superb antique Solomon Islands Artworks that you can see in my collection.

In the eastern Solomon Islands, the shark occupies a privileged position. Held in high esteem and revered as both guardian and predator, sharks are closely associated with the spirit world and, more particularly, with the transition of man from the world of the living to the world of the departed which is inhabited by ancestors. This allusion to the shark is partly based on an important myth which recounts the story of Karemanua, a man who metamorphosed into a shark. Karemanua is said to have bitten the body of his brother, Kakafu, for having witnessed his transformation into a powerful god and his subsequent passage from the living world to the realm of spirits and ancestors which was tapu (sacred or taboo, forbidden).

Provenance: Collected in the 1960s by a botanist. The Todd Barlin Collection of Solomon Islands and Oceanic Art. See my biography here: https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/art-for-sale/oceanic-art-society-interview-by-margaret-cassidy/

See my new Exhibition Galleries Here: EXHIBITIONS GALLERY showing the Museums and Art Galleries Exhibitions that I provided artworks for over the past 40 years. There is the link to the article about my artworks published in the prestigious Louvre Magazine in 1996

INQUIRE HERE

If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us

A Superb Old Micronesian Woven Basketry Fish Trap Yap Island Micronesia

A Superb Old Micronesian Woven Basketry Fish Trap Yap Island Micronesia

This beautiful old Fish Trap constructed from bamboo and coconut fibre coir rope was made with great skill like a complex architectural model based on mathematical engineering.

The Federated States of Micronesia is comprised of four states, Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Each state has its own unique traditional fishing practices. Across these islands, many different forms of traditional fishing knowledge were shared and fishermen ventured into the waters, relying on their ancestral knowledge to catch a diverse array of marine life.

The fishing basket trap is an apparatus used to trap fish with a funnel-like entrance that allows fish easy passage to get inside but difficult to get out. It is usually made from bamboo and other materials like rattan, the fishing basket trap is an ancient way to catch fish probably used by human beings for many thousands of years. People around the world have the custom of using fishing basket traps that come in various shapes & technology specific to the type of fish being sought.

When fishing in a lagoon with calm water, you can sink the fishing basket trap with a float connected to show the location. The back part of the basket is always an enclosure where a piece of bait is provided. Catching fish with a fishing basket trap is a sustainable way to food resources. It was a reliable method to get food for humans for thousands of years. The techniques of weaving and making use of the fishing basket were indispensable knowledge for the people of that time. This sustainable practice not only maintains local livelihoods but also preserves the fragile marine ecosystems that are vital to the nation’s well-being.

The Pacific Ocean plays a central role in the lives of Micronesians, not only is it used for fishing, inter-island travel, and, formerly, warfare, but it also serves as a conduit for trade networks and political alliances. Micronesian artworks directly associated with the ocean include Basketry Fish Traps like this example and the important Stick Navigation Charts and Weather Charms from Yap Island both of which were associated with long ocean voyages.

Yalulawei, benevolent water spirits were summoned by the navigator or fisherman through chanting to ensure a smooth and safe voyage during fishing.

If you are interested in antique Micronesian Art I have some very beautiful old artworks for museums or collectors, see the other Micronesian artworks on my website

Provenance: Old Collection Australia & The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic & Micronesian Art

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY showing the Museums & Art Gallery Exhibitions that I provided artworks for over the past 40 years. There is the link to the article about my artworks published in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specializes in New Guinea and Oceanic Art. Sydney is very close New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbors.

INQUIRE HERE

If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact u

A Fine Collection of Antique African Passport Masks Dan People Ivory Coast West Africa

A Fine Collection of Antique African Passport Masks Dan People Ivory Coast West Africa dating from the 19th to early 20th Century

Most Dan face masks genre, and those of the culturally related groups of Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, are commonly executed in a miniature form, ranging in height between 6 and 20 centimetres.

Even the largest miniatures are too small to be worn in front of the face, and they rarely exhibit any means by which they may be attached to anything. The most common mask type represented in such a diminutive form is deangle (attractive mask with slit eyes, performs a feminine behaviour)

Miniature masks bear many names: the most common is ma go (small head), but depending on scholarship it has also be named gba po (thing which is fed), or nyonkula (substitute for the ancestors). Echoing the variety of names, they fulfill a variety of functions. Anyone who has a spiritual connection with a mask, or whose family owns an important mask, is entitled to commission a miniature. Rubbed with oil and food, they are wrapped up and kept on the owner’s body or among his possessions and function as portable and personal forms that share the power and protective force of the full-sized mask.

Miniature masks are carved to embody tutelary spirits and serve as testimony to the presence of the spirit associated with a large masquerade. When a mask-owner is travelling, the miniature mask serves as an important means of identification outside his immediate community. This role that may have given it the commonly applied name of “passport mask.”

Diviners can advise individuals to commission a miniature mask for preventative, protective, or curative purposes.

In addition to being the property of one single individual, in certain instances, miniature masks may also play a communal role in secret societies. They are among the sacred objects displayed at men’s society meetings to protect the men collectively and can be shown to new initiates. On these occasions, they are interpreted to be representations of the benevolent spirits associated with the most important masquerades of the area. They are used as sacred objects for taking oaths and for swearing to tell the truth.

Whether personal or collective, miniature masks must be fed regularly to remain strong and able to help their owner. Food may be simply set before it, or the offering, such as rice or oil, may be rubbed or poured onto it. On special occasions, a sacrificed chicken’s blood is spilled onto the mask. The range of offerings and use explain the variety observed in the miniature’s patinas.

Provenance: Many Old Collections from Europe & North America. The Todd Barlin Collection of African & Oceanic Art

Sources
Fischer, Eberhard and Himmelheber, Hans. The Arts of the Dan in West Africa. Zurich: Museum Rietberg, 1984
Grootaers, Jan-Lodewijk and Bortolot, Alexander, Eds. Visions from the Forests: The Art from Liberia and Sierra Leone. Exh. Cat. Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Seattle and London: The University of Washington Press, 2014
Johnson, Barbara C. Four Dan Sculptors: Continuity and Change. Exh. Cat. The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. M. H. de Young Memorial Museum. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1986
Vandenhoute, Pieter-Jan, 1938–1939 unpublished field notes, as cited by Claessens, Bruno in Refined Eye, Passionate Heart: African Art from the Leslie Sacks Collection. Amanda M. Maples Ed. Milano, Italy: Skira, [2013]

See my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY showing the Museums and Art Galleries Exhibitions that I provided artworks for over the past 40 years. There is the link to the article about my artworks published in the prestigious Louvre Magazine in 1996

INQUIRE HERE

If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us

A Pair of Fine Old Australian Aboriginal Spears from Arnhem Land Northern Territory Australia

A Pair of Fine Old Australian Aboriginal Spears from Arnhem Land Northern Territory Australia. Dating from the late 19th – Early 20th Century

This pair of old Arnhem Land Spears shows the great skill of the artist who made them. The Stone Spear Heads are expertly flaked to get very sharp edges & points. They were then hafted on wood shafts bound with fiber string & resin to hold them strongly, after the spears were functionally strong the artist took the time to ochre paint the area just below the stone tips. These two spears were likely cut down from their original 2 to 3-meter length, this was often done when collected in a remote area and then needed to transport them back to their new home.

Spears are traditionally used for hunting and fishing, and as a weapon to administer tribal law, self-defense, or acts of aggression. Spears would have been used with Woomera Spear Throwers to make them fly further & with great accuracy to hit running animals like Kangaroo

While many spears had wooden tips, those across northern Australia, like these examples were made with fine blades of silcrete and quartzite. These were associated with magical qualities, which were believed to improve accuracy for the operator.

Long stone blades with sharp edges, known by archaeologists as “Leilira blades “. The term ‘Leilira blade’ refers to very long flaked blades made in central and northern Australia that are triangular or trapezoidal in cross-section. They are made by ‘flaking’ – removing a small piece of rock from a large piece, called a core, by striking it with a hammerstone. The core is usually held in the hand or rested in the person’s lap or on the ground. Often one or both edges of the blade are retouched to create a dentated or notched edge or a rounded end.

Leilira blades are usually made from quartzite, a hard metamorphic rock that varies in colour from white to dark grey, but slate and other stones are also used.

Leilira blades are up to 20 cm long and were used to butcher animals, to create cicatrice (raised) scars on people and in male circumcision. They were also used as spearheads in the Northern Territory, central Australia and western Queensland,

Provenance: Old Collection Australia Early 20th Century & The Todd Barlin Collection of Aboriginal & New Guinea Art

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A Fine Old Pair of Australian Aboriginal Mokoy Figures from Central Arnhem Land NT C.1960s

A Fine Old Pair of Australian Aboriginal Mokoy Figures from Central Arnhem Land Northern Territory of Australia. Dating from the 1960s

These rare old figures commemorate a Birrkili ceremony. Finely carved and ochre painted; the black triangles symbolize thunder, red is the rain, and white is the lightning and also includes an image of a totemic turtle, a creature that plays a major role in Mokoy ceremonies. The people of Arnhem Land are world-famous for their ancient Rock Art and Bark Paintings and Sculpture

Yolŋu are Aboriginal people from northeast and central Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. The Yolŋu worldview sees every species of plant, animal, fish bird, or any place or person as belonging to one of the two balancing halves of the world, the clans making up the two moieties that define all Yolŋu relationships to people and country – Yirritja and Dhuwa. The sacred art of this region, known as Miwatj, details the spiritual forces behind the ongoing Creation and the continuing identity of the fresh and saltwater country of the area.

Provenance: Old Collection Australia & The Todd Barlin Collection of Australian Aboriginal Art & New Guinea Oceanic Art

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To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us

A Superb Old Australian Aboriginal Woomera Spear Thrower West Australia 19th C

A Superb Old Australian Aboriginal Woomera Spear Thrower from Western Australia Dating from the Late 19^thto Early 20th Century.

The Woomera or Spear Thrower is a sophisticated technology that elongates the arm making the spear travel much further in distance & with great accuracy when used for hunting. Correcting for the game animal’s lateral dodging is accomplished by tilting the wing-shape woomera during the throw for last-second corrections. The kinetic energy of a spear launched from a woomera has been calculated as four times that of an arrow launched from a compound bow. See the photo above of Woomera in use

This beautiful old Woomera or Spear Thrower is finely carved from a single piece of hardwood, it is finely incised on the front surface with linear fluting and the Zig Zag design that represents an abstract snake highlighted with white ochre painting. At the back of the Woomera, you can see the great skill of the artist and their use of traditional bone or stone tools giving it a distinct chiseled surface. The slender handle butt would have once had a small ball of spinifex resin.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea & First Australians & Oceanic Art On a fine custom stand for easy display showing both sides well

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To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

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A Superb Old New Guinea War Shield Mount Hagen Area Western Highlands Papua New Guinea

A Superb Old New Guinea War Shield Melpa People Mount Hagen Area Western Highlands Papua New Guinea

This old and well-used shield was collected in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. The bold design is started by a punctated pecking that becomes the outline for the designs that are painted in yellow, white, and black colours. This shield has signs of being well used in fighting because of the many arrows and spearheads embedded in the front of the shield. The area clans have a range of designs that they use on their shields, each design is likely to belong to a specific clan and can be easily recognized by enemies and clansmen alike. Warfare was widespread among traditional enemies in neighboring areas and alliances were made & broken regularly between groups. These large rectangular shields were used in battle by two men, one pushing the shield forward and another warrior hiding behind the shield and free to use his bow and arrows with great accuracy. Old photos of fighting in the New Guinea Highlands show many warriors with shields facing off over a large space where people surge forward and then move back. I have seen warriors standing on rural dirt roads with their shields expecting a fight, this was in the 1980s, and later when people acquired guns then shields became obsolete due to their not being effective against modern guns. Hanging on the wall in my home it looks amazing. The shield would have been made in the 1930s as it was old when collected

Provenance: Field Collected by the Geologist by Peter Austin in 1965-1966. Part of his collection was purchased by the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada in 1969 & was published in the book ” New Guinea: Big Man Island ” by ES Rogers in 1970.

The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art Art

See more Shields in Shields Gallery

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To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

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A Rare Old New Guinea Shield Asmat People Irian Jaya West Papua Todd Barlin Collection

A Superb Old New Guinea War Shield Jamasj Asmat People Jufri Village Upper Unir River Area Village Remote NW Asmat Area, South Coast West Papua (Indonesia)

This beautiful old Shield with the main designs down the center of the shield are Bipane & Flying Fox Feet designs which are related to ritualised headhunting in times past. The designs on this shield are executed solely from the artist’s memory, he would have learned from watching a previous master carver. The elegant form of the shield with an expressive abstract ancestor’s face is carved at the top with a projection of a phallus.

The way the design is spatially placed on the front looks like it is dancing across the shield, there is great movement in the designs. The designs are imbued with ancestral powers that will frighten the enemy and make them easy to kill.

The physical protection of Shields is only one aspect of their use, shields in New Guinea also play an important ceremonial role & often are the vessel for ancestral spirits and often have a personal name that can be invoked to overpower an enemy. Shields are often kept in Men’s ceremonial houses along with ancestral relics, old shields are family heirlooms and often have an oral history to them, the owner & their clans’ men often can tell you about every particular arrow or spear embedded in the face of the shield, they know the stories of each battle who might have been wounded or killed & how their shield with its ancestral power frightened or stunned their enemies so that they could be easily overcome.

The main Asmat creation myth is about the creator Fumeripitjs who was lonely so he carved figures from wood and then he made a drum, when he played the drum the carved wood figures came to life and that is how the first Asmat people were created. For the Asmat the connection between trees and people and the forest is profound.

Provenance: Field Collected by Todd Barlin in 1985-86

Exhibited: Oceanic Arts Pacifica: Oceanic Art for the Todd Barlin Collection 2014 Casula Power House Arts Centre Sydney

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If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us

Archives: Art For Sale

A Superb Old New Guinea Korwar Canoe Ornament Geelvink Bay West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia.

A Superb Old New Guinea Canoe Prow Ornament Asmat People West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia

A Fine Old Solomon Islands Carved Shark Man Figure Star Harbour Area Makira Island Collected c.1960s

A Superb Old Micronesian Woven Basketry Fish Trap Yap Island Micronesia

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A Fine Collection of Antique African Passport Masks Dan People Ivory Coast West Africa

A Pair of Fine Old Australian Aboriginal Spears from Arnhem Land Northern Territory Australia

A Fine Old Pair of Australian Aboriginal Mokoy Figures from Central Arnhem Land NT C.1960s

A Superb Old Australian Aboriginal Woomera Spear Thrower West Australia 19th C

A Superb Old New Guinea War Shield Mount Hagen Area Western Highlands Papua New Guinea

See more Shields in Shields Gallery

A Rare Old New Guinea Shield Asmat People Irian Jaya West Papua Todd Barlin Collection

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