Archives: Art For Sale

Art For Sale

A Superb Old New Guinea Massim Figure by Master Carver Banieva Milne Bay Province Papua New Guinea

A Superb Old Massim Figure by Master Carver Banieva Milne Bay Province PNG 19th Century

This superb Massim Figure was carved by a known Massim carver Banieva who was also from the Suau area in the Milne Bay Province in the far Southeast part of Papua New Guinea.

In Papua New Guinea where virtually all of the many thousands of Master Carvers remain unidentified Banieva and Mutuaga are rare examples of known master carvers whose work has been admired and collected since the late 19th Century.

Born in the 1860’s Banieva lived and worked in the Suau District in the Milne Bay province of Papua New Guinea.  Banieva would have known the other famous Massim master carver of that time Mutuaga.  It is a miracle that there is a photo of Banieva caring above this photo is from the book Mutuaga: A 19th Century Master Carver by Harry Beran : Wollongong University Press 1996

Banieva carvings are unique in their stylised representation of ancestor figures, several of his artworks can be seen in the book  Mutuaga: A Nineteenth-Century New Guinea Master Carver: Wollongong University Press 1996 Page 233,  these show the unique style of the incised hands held to the chest. There is also a photo of Banieva at work carving in the same publication on Mutuaga page 215 Plate 49.

We are also fortunate in the extensive research and writings of the art historian Dr. Harry Beran who has studied Massim Art & Culture over 60 years.

This finely carved Janus Ancestor Figure by Banieva is quite unique it shows two men standing back to back on a shared oval-shaped base. both are smoking tobacco in pipes.  I personally love the way the hands are done in a very stylised manner. There is finely incised decorations on the body and base and face and the designs have been highlighted with white lime infilled into the designs.

Figures by Banieva are extremely rare & most are in Museum Collections. This is the only example I have owned or I have seen in private hands.

Some of the finest carvers on the Island of New Guinea came the Massim Culture in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. These artists are well known for their amazing Lime Spatulas and Wealth objects but their early figurative art is less well known. In Pre-European contact times the Massim certainly the made and used ancestor figures for traditional use in ancestor worship, soon I will list another Massim Figure that was known collected by Captain Thomson in 1896.

Reference:   Mutuaga: A Nineteenth-Century New Guinea Master Carver: Wollongong University Press 1996

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of Pacific Islands Oceanic and New Guinea and Asian Art

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & 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 specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours. 

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 New Guinea Massim Figure Milne Bay Province Papua New Guinea

A Superb New Guinea Massim Figure Milne Bay Province Papua New Guinea

This superb Massim Double or Janus Figure is from the Milne Bay Province in the far Southeast part of Papua New Guinea. This very finely carved double figure is in the form of a squatting figure with hands to the chin. The figures back to back share a base & conical-shaped hat or headdress. The artist’s style is very distinct and recently I was looking at objects online and I saw a figure by the exact same hand it was dated the early 20th Century. I am looking for the photo which I filed and can’t find right now but it is definitely the same artist & it had a early collection date.

Some of the finest carvers on the Island of New Guinea came from the Massim Culture in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. These artists are well known for their amazing Lime Spatulas and Wealth objects but their early figurative art is less well known. In pre-European contact times certainly, the made and used ancestor figures for traditional use in ancestor worship, soon I will list another Massim Figure that was known collected by Captain Thomson in 1896.

The well-known 19th Century Massim Art Master Carver Mutuaga was only one of the recognized master carvers. I am going to soon show another important Massim Figure by Mutuaga’s contemporary Banieva who was working at the same time as Mutuaga in his own distinct style.

The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & 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 specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours. 

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 Chinese Daoist Carved Figure of a Celestial Being from the Ming Era

A Superb Old Chinese Daoist Carved Figure of a Celestial Being from the Ming Era

This beautifully carved Taoist / Daoist Architectural Support Figure; is in the form of a Celestial Being riding an elaborate dragon figure 

You can see the great skill of the artist as the finely carved figure looks alive with movement and as if they are riding the dragon floating in the air.  Below the left hand, you can see the square place where a beam of wood had gone where it fits into a larger structure that was likely in the interior corner of a temple or shrine as you can see where it had a beam fit into the square space just under the hand.

When you look closely at the photos you can see traces of the original thick lacquer painting. 

A very knowledgeable Asian Art expert told me that the Deity is wearing Ming-era clothing. The Ming Dynasty officially was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644.

Provenance:  Japanese collection before 1940.  Old Australian Collection. The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic and Asian Art.

See the photo of my Exhibition Catalogue:  The Art of Compassion:  Buddhist Art from The Todd Barlin Collection 2018

If anyone knows more about this figure or of a drawing or photo of how this figure sat in the larger structure I would be very grateful to know how it fits into the structure and any other information.

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 New Guinea Shield Telefomin Area West Sepik Province Papua New Guinea

A Fine Old New Guinea Shield Telefomin Area West Sepik Province Papua New Guinea

This fine old and well-used Shield from the Telefomin Area in the Star Mountains area of the West Sepik Province in Papua New Guinea.

Among the Telefomin and related groups, their War Shields were considered to be ancestral relics and were kept in men’s ceremonial houses.

The Telefomin are also famous for their carved & painted Ceremonial House Boards and Doors that have designs that are often similar to their Shields. These carvings  were attached to the front of  the Men’s Ceremonial House.  (also see the great Telefomin Door on my website)

The construction of the Men’s Ceremonial House with carved doors and panels also coincided with the eligibility of the house to store ancestral relics like Shields.   The spiritual ‘heat’ of such relics was believed to be a danger to the well-being of women and children so ancestral relics were kept only in men’s ritual houses. In the men’s ritual houses, boys and young men passed through several stages of initiation into the mysteries of the ancestors and the rituals that ensured the growth of the staple crop (taro), the health and welfare of the community, and success in hunting and warfare.

The designs on the Shields were specific to a clan and area specific and the designs had ancestral power, each shield had its own personal name. This fine Shield has deeply incised designs with a central motif and the edge of the shield has a serrated triangular border.  The designs are highlighted with red, white & black ochre.  On the back of the shield, you can see how it was held with a crossed bamboo strap going from corner to corner.

Warfare was widespread among traditional enemies in neighboring areas and alliances were made & broken regularly between different 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.

This shield would date from the 1940’s-1950’s.

Provenance: Collected in the 1960’s by an Australian expat Barry Ison who was working in New Guinea in the 1960’s

The Todd Barlin  Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art 

References:

Dr Barry Craig is a true New Guinea Art expert who lived in the Telefomin area in the 1960’s.  His Chapter in the Book: ” Shields of Melanesia ” 2005 Chapter: 5.2 pages 117 -124. This gives the clearest information on Shields from this area.

This whole book mainly on New Guinea Shields is one of the best references ever published.

I have been collecting New Guinea Shields since 1983 when I bought my very shield, over the next 38 years I bought the very best New Guinea Shields that I could for my own personal collection; The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic Shields.

I helped write three chapters in the most important book on New Guinea Shields, ” Shields of Melanesia ” 2005  edited by Harry Beran and Barry Craig.  

3.1 Shields from the North Coast of Western New Guinea: Pages 28- 32 : West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia

5.1 The Shields of the Highlands of Western New Guinea : Pages 112- 1117  :  Yali Shields Central Highlands West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia

6.1 Shields from the Southern Lowlands of Western New Guinea: Pages 155-165 : Four areas of  The Asmat People and Digul River areas.

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & 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 specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours. 

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 New Guinea Drum Papuan Gulf Area South Coast Papua New Guinea

See more Fine Drums in Drums Gallery 

A Superb Old New Guinea Drum Papuan Gulf Area South Coast Papua New Guinea

This beautiful old Drum is from the Papuan Gulf Area on the South Coast of Papua New Guinea.  This hourglass-shaped drum is often referred to as a Kundu which is the Papua New Guinea pidgin English term for this type of drum.  Old drums like this fine example were family heirlooms often used over several generations of a family.  This Shark Mouth form drum is finely incised with ancestors’ faces in high relief along with clan designs.  The lug handle and whole drum have a deep old shiny black patina from use and storage over decades.  The use of drums are very important to all traditional ceremonies where drumming and singing relate stories of ancient ancestral beings who are invoked for protection & fertility.

During my many visits to Papua New Guinea & West Papua in the 1980’s I was fortunate to be in villages where an important ceremony was to take place, it usually always proceeded with drumming and singing coming from the men’s ceremonial house. Drums were kept in good sound by putting some small balls of wax on the drum skin and then leaving the head of the drum close to a fire, this tightened the drum head & made the voice of the drums deeper. Drumming would often go on all night until daybreak, the people never got tired of playing their drums and signing nor did I ever get tired of listing to the drumming & singing, it was beautiful.  Above are a few photos of men playing their drums and singing in different villages ( not this drum in this listing )

This drum would date from the late 19th to early 20th Century.  It’s in very good condition

The Todd Barlin Private Collection of New Guinea Art and Oceanic Art 

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & 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 specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours. 

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 New Guinea Gope Spirit Board Giobari Island Papuan Gulf Area Papua New Guinea

A Superb New Guinea Gope Spirit Board Kerewa People from Giobari Island in Papuan Gulf Area Papua New Guinea

This beautifully carved Gope Spirit Board or titi ebiha is from Goaribari Island (also spelled Giobari) and is at the delta of the Kikori and Omati Rivers in the Papuan Gulf Area on the South Coast of Papua New Guinea. Gope boards are one of the most recognizable artworks from the Island of New Guinea.

Gope Spirit Boards are the embodiment of powerful spirits that represent each clan. No two Gope boards are the same, sometimes they are made from the sides of old canoes which provide a ready-made flat shape to carve the Gope boards from. This Giobari Island Gope is in the form of an abstract spirit head carved in low relief and painted with black & red ochre & white lime (burnt & crushed sea shells).

In the past, the primary focus of religious and artistic life in the region was on powerful spirits (imunu). Each imunu typically was associated with a specific location in the landscape, rivers, or sea, and was linked to the specific clan within whose territory it dwelt.

In pre-European contact times, the Papuan Gulf people made huge Ceremonial Houses with peaked roofs called Ravi, this is where the Gope Spirit Boards and other types of ceremonial objects were kept safe & secret from the uninitiated.  Gope boards were often kept on shrines that had boars’ skulls and human skulls from headhunting placed around them on racks.

The Papuan Gulf people had complex ceremonial cycles that took sometimes a decade to complete.  There are many distinct art styles in the Papuan Gulf stretching from the Elema area in the east to the Bamu area in the west and they are also neighbors of the Gogodala & Marind Anim people who live on both sides of the border that splits the island between Papua New Guinea and West Papua Indonesia.

This Gope Board shows the genius of the Giobari Island artists, he was not constrained by the size or the shape of the wood, and the oversized head, and the small body both work to great visual effect.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art 

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

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.

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 Vanuatu Slit Gong Drum Ambrym Island in Vanuatu

A Superb Old Vanuatu Monumental Slit Gong Drum From Ambrym Island in Vanuatu

This beautiful monumental Slit Gong Drum Sculpture is from Ambrym Island in Vanuatu.  This Drum was exhibited in 2014 ( see the photos above with orange background)  Exhibited & Published in Oceanic Arts Pacifica: Artworks from The Todd Barlin Collection at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre Sydney 2014. Published in the exhibition catalogue on page 75.

The towering slit gongs of northern Vanuatu are among the largest freestanding musical instruments on earth. Found primarily on Ambrym Island, Malekula, and neighbouring islands, they are carved from the trunks of large breadfruit trees, hollowed out to create a resonating chamber with a narrow slit-shaped aperture. The edges of the slit are struck with club-like wood beaters, producing deep, sonorous tones. Several gongs, constituting an informal orchestra, stand on the village’s dancing ground. These gong orchestras are played at major social and ceremonial occasions such as initiations, dances, and funerals. Through carefully coordinated actions, the drummers in the gong ensemble produce rhythms of immense variety and complexity.

Slit gongs are, or were, also used to communicate between villages. Under proper atmospheric conditions, their sound can carry for miles through the forest and, in rare instances, across the water to neighbouring islands.  A series of gong languages composed of beats and pauses enables highly specific messages to be sent. This slit gong Drum is from the village of Fanla on Ambrym Island. The gong is made in the form of two stylised ancestor figures.  Small arms and spirals depicting sacred pig tusks appear below the face of the bottom ancestor figure. The heads are carved with projections representing hair. The long vertical slit represents the mouth, through which the ancestor’s “voice” emerges as sound whenever the gong is played.

Most of Vanuatu’s cultures have complex men’s secret societies, which involve a series of ritual “grades” through which individuals pass,  initiation rites, festivals, and pig sacrifices, to achieve increasing religious and social status. Special ritual objects were made & used for these secret men’s societies.

Provenance:  From the collection of the late David Baker (1943-2009 ) who was the president of The Oceanic Arts Society of Australia and was a great collector, expert & supporter of Oceanic Art & Cultures.

Exhibited & Published in Oceanic Arts Pacifica: Artworks from The Todd Barlin Collection at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre Sydney 2016. Published in the exhibition catalogue page 75 The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Art and Oceanic Art and Asian Art

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

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.

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 New Guinea Slit Gong Drum Lower Sepik River East Sepik Province Papua New Guinea

A Superb Old New Guinea Slit Gong Drum Lower Sepik River East Sepik Province Papua New Guinea and is called Garamut 

This beautiful old & well-used Slit Gong Drum is from the Lower Sepik River area and is a museum-quality masterpiece.  In many parts of New Guinea, the sounds produced by certain types of musical instruments are played during traditional ceremonies and are often said to be the voices of supernatural beings.  Large slit gongs are a prominent feature of Men’s Ceremonial Houses or Haus Tambaran where they are sometimes arranged in pairs running longitudinally down the length of the earthen floor of the open understory of the structure. Played to accompany a variety of ritual performances and other events, such drums, though used exclusively by men, are readily visible and relatively public objects.

Among Sepik peoples, the most important musical instruments were Sacred Flutes and Slit Gong Drums which are percussion instruments carved from massive logs and hollowed out to create a resonating chamber with a narrow slit-like aperture. The edges are struck with wood beaters to produce a deep, sonorous tone.

The ends of the Slit Gongs are usually embellished with ornate finials depicting important clan ancestors; this very finely carved example has a beautifully carved male Birdman Ancestor Spirit Figure at either end, both figures are surmounted by crocodiles an important clan totem, both sides of this fine drum are adorned with deeply incised clan designs.

Interestingly this Drum just under the male ancestor figures inside the drum is carved female genitalia.  The whole Drum has an old patina and remnants of red & black ochre.

Provenance: Collected in the 1960s by Dr. Fred Gerrits. Gerrits was born in 1933 in Bandung, Indonesia. After graduating with a degree in medicine in Holland, he settled in Papua New Guinea in the 1950s, where he met his future wife Nel. Dr Gerrits was a dedicated field collector of New Guinea Art while he was living and working in New Guinea in 1960s -1970s working for the World Health Organization.  His collection is world-renowned and is now featured in many Museum Collections and Private Collections around the world.

Dr Fred Gerrits author of  “House of Power. House of Pain. Secrets of the Abelam Haus Tambaran of Bongiora (Published 2013) but from his field notes in 1975 

The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Art and Oceanic Art

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea and oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 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 specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours. 

Superb Old New Guinea Sago Stirrer Huon Gulf Area Morobe Province Papua New Guinea

Three Superb Old Sago Stirrer from Tami or Siassi Islands in the Huon Gulf Area Morobe Province Papua New Guinea Dating from the late 19th century 

These beautiful utilitarian objects are used for food preparation when making a Sago Pudding. They are finely carved with ancestors’ heads as the main design motif on both sides of the Stirrers. The ancestor’s heads have fine-incised clan designs and long ears wearing pendulum earrings, the top of the Stirrers has a totemic bird, and the other a totemic snake carved in high relief.  Carved from a single piece of hardwood and it has a dark old patina from years of use and handling. Old pounders like these were family heirlooms passed down through generations

People in the Huon Gulf made very beautiful daily-use objects like these food stirrers that were decorated with ancestral images that provided a daily visual reminder of their powerful clan ancestors.

When you look through the photos carefully you will see these are beautiful sculptural artworks, they are all on custom-made display stands, and the three together look amazing.

Some of the finest carvers in New Guinea come from the area in the Huon Gulf, they were master carvers and well known for their superb oval-shaped wood bowls that were traded far and wide.

Provenance: Collected in 1927 by Dr Edwin Archibald Holland who was in New Guinea working from 1927 to 1933.

The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Art & Oceanic Art

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

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.

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 New Guinea Talipun Bride Price Yangoru Area East Sepik Papua New Guinea

A Fine Old New Guinea Talipun Bride Price Yangoru Area East Sepik Papua New Guinea

The Yangoru Boiken people live on the isolated southern slopes of the Prince Alexander Mountains in the East Sepik Province of Papuan New Guinea.

The Talipun or Talipoon is one of the most important types of traditional currency for the Yangoru Boiken people, it consists of a fibre mask attached to large sea shell.  This finely woven mask is without the shell attached, the mask is on a custom-made stand that allows it to float and be easily displayed on a table or shelf.  I find the Shells take away from the sculptural beauty of the mask.

The woven fibre masks, often come in different forms that represent important ancestral & or bush spirits that are specific to certain clans.  This mask has an ancestor’s face and a wood bird’s head attached to the top.  The shells are a pure wealth object.   These are used to pay for bride dowry’s or compensation payments for land disputes or other occasions where compensations must be paid.  They are still highly valued in remote communities.

Beautiful old Talipun and Abelam Yam Masks are highly sought by collectors and art collectors who saw the great artistry in these woven sculptures.  When seen in a set of several masks together you can see how beautiful they look together ( see above photo of Abelam Wood Heads in a row)  I still have a few more beautiful old Talipun with & without the large shells. Please ask if you are interested.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art 

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & 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 specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours. 

 

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64 Elizabeth Street, Paddington NSW 2021 Sydney Australia

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