Archives: Art For Sale

A Fine Old New Guinea War Shield Asmat People Upper Brazza River Area Asmat West Papua

This superb old and used shield was field collected in 1985 as I visited the Upper Brazza and Kolof River Areas in the remote Eastern Asmat Area on the South Coast of West Papua (Irian Jaya) Indonesia. (seen in the field photo of the day I acquired the shield) at that time of the collection, the people in this area were still nomadic roaming the forest and living in tree houses for protection. This old guy just appeared on the side of the river with his shield, we had no common language and I showed him some trade goods as money was unknown to them, he wanted my knife and we made a happy trade a knife for the shield. In the field photo, the man seems quite happy.  The villager’s attire was that men were basically naked except for sometimes tying a leaf over their foreskin.

The bold design is deeply carved into the shield and highlighted with red, white, and black ochre. The top of the shield represents a stylized ancestor face. There is a similar shield that was collected by the famous field collector and expert on Asmat Art (and also my friend) Tobias Schneebaum, and published in his book “Asmat Images “1985 Page 91 Fig G and now in the Asmat Museum in Agats Central Asmat & run by the Catholic Croiser Mission there.

Asmat Shields were important objects that venerated their ancestors, each shield had a personal name and when invoked during warfare the enemy was said to be frightened or stunned and easy to kill.

I spent a lot of time in the Asmat region in the early 1980s and old and used Shields of this quality in the Coastal and Northwest Asmat Areas were rare. Many of the artworks I field collected then 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 at The Musee du Quai Branly the first thing you see are the monumental ancestor poles from the Asmat & Mimika along with Dance Costumes Shields and large Soul Canoe, all of these were field collected by me. Originally they were in an exhibition ” Asmat et Mimika at The National Museum of African and Oceanic Art in 1996 (now that museum is part of The Musee du Quai Branly).  The exhibition the Asmat and Mimika in 1996 was published in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine see the link below and a photo of the exhibition above.

Provenance: Field Collected by Todd Barlin 1985.  The Elizabeth Pryce Collection Sydney, The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art 

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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.

Three Fine Old Headrests from the Tufi Area Oro Province, Papua New Guinea

These three finely carved headrests or neckrests are from the Tufi area and are called Gira Kukai in the local dialect and are iconic objects from this area. They were used by both Men & Women when sleeping so as not to disturb their finely coiffured hairstyles.

The openwork geometric designs remind me of small architectural models. They are quite unique in being different heights & widths and two of these have incised geometrical designs on the base.

One has to wonder if the person who was going to use the headrest requested a specific height or width for their maximum comfort just as when we shop for just the right pillow height.

All three of these Headrests are well-used and date from the late 19^th to early 20^th Century.   Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic & Papua New Guinea 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 in 1996 (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.

ENQUIRE 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 enquires, please contact us.

Fine Old New Guinea Amulet Figures Middle Sepik River East Sepik Province Papua New Guinea

This amazing collection of 17 small amulet figures is in the form of anthropomorphic ancestors and powerful ancestral beings called waken. 

All of these finely carved and painted little figures appear to be made by one master carver.

Small amulet figures like these were kept by men in small woven bags or even sometimes woven into their beards. They were used for magical purposes such as; love magic, controlling the weather,  hunting for wild pigs & cassowaries, to protect the owner and his family from malevolent sorcerers & the spirit world.

It is unknown where Mr Friede acquired these but it’s quite  possible they were collected by Douglas Newton in New Guinea in the 1960s as Friede bought most of Douglas Newton Collection which focused mainly on beautiful small objects

Provenance: Ex John Friede Collection New York, Most of this important collection is in the De Young Fine Art Museum in San Francisco California.

The Todd Barlin Collection of Papua New Guinea Art & Artifacts.

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.

ENQUIRE 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 enquires, please contact us.

A Fine Collection of Japanese Smoking Implements from the 19th Century

Some of the most beautiful small objects made in Japan were used for Tobacco Smoking. This fine collection was made over 40 years and each of these Tobacco Sets were acquired because of their individual unique beauty, there is such variation from the most simple natural form burl wood containers to the elaborately carved wood examples with finely incised designs such as dragons.

The Portuguese introduced tobacco in Japan in the second half of the sixteenth century. The Japanese were particularly surprised to see the Portuguese smoking pipes and spitting out smoke and would have exclaimed “The Southern Barbarians have a fire in their belly!”

Tobacco was quickly adopted by the Japanese people by the end of the sixteenth century, the Kerisu or Smoking Pipes, were used as the only way to smoke tobacco in Japan and it they would remain that way for the next three centuries, until the Meiji Restoration (1868), when cigarettes arrived in Japan and became very popular.

The smoking implements needed to smoke while outside or traveling were a set consisting of a pouch to hold the tobacco called TONKOTSU  and the Pipe or Kerisu & its holder.  Tobacco pouches were usually beautifully decorated and with delicate metal clasps to close the pouch, they also had a Netsuke on the end of a small chain or string so as to tuck into the traditional sash called (Obi). Japanese robes did not have pockets & which is why their tobacco smoking sets were tucked into their sash.

The Edo period (1603-1868) that precedes the development of cigarettes in Japan was the heyday of Kiseru Pipes & Tobacco smoking paraphernalia.  In the Edo period there was in the high society a ” Tobacco Ceremony” or ” The Way of Tobacco” (tabako-dō 烟草道), similar to the Japanese “Tea Ceremony”  where rules of politeness and decorum were fixed and there were procedures or good manners to give and receive the Kiseru pipes when smoking with company.  It became very fashionable to have a silver Kiseru and beautiful Tobacco Case and  it was an essential fashion accessory for young people from rich houses.

Provenance:  The Todd Barlin Collection of Asian Art

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