Archives: Art For Sale

Art For Sale

A Superb Old Burmese Ox Cart Ornament Shan State Burma Myanmar Dating from the 19th Century

A Superb Old Burmese Ox Cart Ornament Shan State Burma Myanmar Dating from the 19th Century

This superb old sculpture was once on the front of an Ox Cart ( see old photo above) these Ox Cart Sculptures were a form of protection for the owner & passengers.  Carved in the form of a powerful tiger attacking a young woman is based on an old Burmese folk tale where two brothers, are messengers for King Anawrahta.  Minsaw (1014 –1077) was the founder of the Pagan Empire (849–c. 1300). These two brothers fell in love with a young girl but she rejected them both, it is said that these two spurned brothers were so angry that sent a tiger to kill her. Thus, this image of the tiger holding the girl in his jaws is the girl’s fate.  The Figure has significant age & old patina from long use, it could be old than the 19th Century.

The Art of Myanmar refers to visual art created in Myanmar (Burma). Ancient Burmese art was influenced by India and China, and was often religious, ranging from Hindu sculptures in the Thaton Kingdom to Theravada Buddhist images in the Sri Ksetra Kingdom. The Bagan period saw significant developments in many art forms from wall paintings and sculptures to stucco and wood carving.

A wide variety of mythical creatures are found in Burmese mythology. Many Burmese creatures are part human or creatures capable of assuming human form. Most mythical creatures are endowed with the ability to converse with humans and have supernatural powers. Since long before the introduction of Buddhism, there has been a pronounced belief in animism among the native people of Burma, even today, the 37 primary Nats are essentially spirits that can make life difficult for those who do not accord them sufficient respect and esteem. They are an integral part of the religious beliefs of the Burmese people.  The people of Burma appease and honor them with offerings of flowers, money, and food, placed on special altars. Originally, each village had its spirits.

Travel for work and pleasure was often by Ox Cart in Burma & other Southeast Asian countries for centuries. Festival carts were always decorated elaborately, Ox Cart races have also been a beloved sport. Burma has a long tradition of decorating its bullock carts with wonderful sculptures that reflect their culture and mythology.

Burma’s past was steeped in animism and shamanism that included the belief that inanimate objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence that may influence human life for the better or worse and, therefore, deserve worship or at least placation to bring positive energy to their lives.

These are rare, I only ever bought this one because it was the finest one & all the other examples were not

See more fine antique Burmese & Buddhist Art here on my website https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/asian-art/buddhist-art/

Provenance: Old Collection Thailand & The Todd Barlin Collection of Asian & Oceanic Tribal Art  

Literature: Burmese Medicine Figures Tribal Art Mag Autumn 2018 by Marc Petit

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  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 

 

Three Superb Old Burmese Medicine Amulet Charms from Shan State Burma Myanmar Dating from the 19th Century

Three Superb Old Burmese Medicine Amulet Charms from Shan State Burma Myanmar Dating from the 19th Century

These beautiful old Medicinal Amulets are in the form of Nats Spirits and were used by animists and Buddhists alike.  Some of these spirits go back to ancient pre-Buddhist or Hindu times when animists were in balance with nature & and their ancestors. The Art of Myanmar refers to visual art created in Myanmar (Burma). Ancient Burmese art was influenced by India and China, and was often religious, ranging from Hindu sculptures in the Thaton Kingdom to Theravada Buddhist images in the Sri Ksetra Kingdom. The Bagan period saw significant developments in many art forms from wall paintings and sculptures to stucco and wood carving.

A Saya is the title of a traditional healer. The Saya used these amulets which sometimes had small chambers containing botanicals used in healing rituals.  Illness both physical & mental as well as bad luck & misfortune were attributed to the action’s demons, ghosts’ witches, or sorcerers of the lower path, the practitioners of black magic where action must be taken to thwart their schemes.

There were many types of Nats figures used in traditional healing, here you see three different Nat forms all from carved wood and with fine old patina from long handling & use (left to right) a guardian holding a staff (middle) Nat Wearing a feline mask holding a sword) a Nat riding an elephant with a written scroll tucked between the elephant’s legs.

These Burmese medical amulets are rare, I bought these three Amulet Figures over 20 years ago, I sometimes saw fine old examples in Thailand but they were not for sale as they are still highly valued by people.

See more fine antique Burmese & Buddhist Art here on my website https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/asian-art/buddhist-art/

Provenance: Old Collection Thailand & The Todd Barlin Collection of Asian & Oceanic Tribal Art  

Literature: Burmese Medicine Figures Tribal Art Mag Autumn 2018 by Marc Petit

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  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 

 

Superb Antique Ainu People Japan Ikupasuy Prayer Sticks Hokkaido Island Japan 19th to early 20th Century

Four Superb Antique Ainu People Japan Ikupasuy Prayer Sticks from Hokkaido Island Japan 19th to early 20th Century

See my other fine Japanese Art: https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/asian-art/japanese-art/

The Ainu are indigenous people of Hokkaido, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands in Japan, they were culturally and physically distinct from their Japanese neighbors until the second part of the 20th century. The Ainu may be descendants of an indigenous population once widely spread over northern Asia; many contemporary Ainu claim some connection to Japan’s prehistoric Jōmon culture.

Ikupasuy are important ceremonial carved wood sticks Ainu men use when making prayers & offerings to their gods and ancestral spirits. They are used in libation ceremonies when millet beer or sake is used as an offering (see historic photo of Ainu men using Prayer Sticks)

The central section is always decorated, here men can use any design they want. Animal and floral designs are popular but some sticks have narrative and abstract designs. At each end, Ikupasuy has simple designs representing the patrilineage (male bloodline) of the man to whom it belongs. These designs are essential as they tell the gods and spirits who is making the offering.

These important objects; the prayer sticks are regarded as intermediaries between the men and men and gods, to whom a few drops of sake are offered with the sticks.

In these four fine Ikupasuy examples; two are carved with fish and other designs & the other looks like a floral motif, each Ikupasuy design is for a specific family or clan.  One has gold leaf and lacquer as seen in the photo above. Antique Ikupasuy are rare, I bought these four over the past 40 years of collecting.

The female equivalent would be their secret woven grass belts the designs were handed down from mother to daughter.

Ikupasuy are sometimes (but not always) carved on the back with various symbols called ‘shiroshi’. A common ‘shiroshi’ represents the orca or killer whale. The pointed end of the stick is called the ‘tongue’ of the Ikupasuy.

Provenance: Old Collection Taiwan   

The Todd Barlin Collection of Asian and Oceanic Tribal Art

Literature  Dr. Moses Osamu Baba; Iku-nishi of the Saghalien Ainu. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 79, No. 1/2, 1949.  

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 and 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 neighbours.

 

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 War Club from Orokolo Bay Papuan Gulf South Coast Papua New Guinea 19th Century

A Superb Old New Guinea War Club from Orokolo Bay Papuan Gulf South Coast Papua New Guinea 19th Century

This superb old War Club called Boti in the Elema Language was used in warfare fighting with traditional enemies, the front is finely carved with two expressive Imunu Spirit Faces, a star shape, and other designs. The designs have magical properties that make the club more effective against enemies.

The Elema people live on the long coast of Orokolo Bay in southern Papua New Guinea.  In the past, the primary focus of religious and artistic life 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 like Clubs and Bullroarers were kept safe.

Ceremonial Artworks & artifacts were kept on shrines that had boars’ skulls and human skulls from headhunting placed around them on racks, oral traditions were attached to all of the Ceremonial Artworks like this club would have had a significant oral history about the original owner & how it was used in fighting.

I love Papuan Gulf Art, I think it is one of the most beautiful art styles in the whole Island of New Guinea, please look at my other Papuan Gulf Artworks on my website, there are fine old Gope Spirit Boards, Ancestor Figures, Old Papuan Gulf Drums, incised Bark Belts, Shell Ornaments. Look at this superb old Elema Bullroarer  from the same early collection :   https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/art-for-sale/a-superb-old-bullroarer-orokolo-bay-papuan-gulf-area-papua-new-guinea/

The Papuan Gulf people had complex Hevehe Ceremonial cycles that took 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.

The Elema People or Orokolo Bay produced some of the strongest artworks in the whole Papuan Gulf Area & are the rarest as they were the first converted to Christianity.

Provenance: This Bullroarer was collected by the Australian Colonial Patrol Officer in 1948 when he was charged with visiting remote villages & keeping order.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art 

Provenance: Old Collection Australia and 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.

 

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 Asmat People West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia

A Fine Old New Guinea Shield from the Asmat People West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia   Home Page Link   https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/

This beautiful old and well-used shield was collected by me in Djakapis in 1985.  At that time Djakapis village was one of the most remote villages in the North West Asmat Area.

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.  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 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 shield’s owner in the field photograph has his name recorded along with the name of the carver of the shield. Also at this time, there was still sporadic tribal fighting with Irogo and Pupis villages generally over the kidnapping of women which is their only way to increase their genetic pool in small village populations.  Djakapis is a small village of less than 50 people.

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 is 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.

See my Shields Gallery Link Here  https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/fine-tribal-art/new-guinea-tribal-art-oceanic-art/oceanic-shield/

See my new exhibition gallery https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/about-us-museum-quality-new-guinea-tribal-arts/exhibition-and-publications/ 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 neighbours.

 

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 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

See all of my GALLERIES HERE  https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/fine-tribal-art/   

SEE CANOE PROWS GALLERY HERE https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/fine-tribal-art/new-guinea-tribal-art-oceanic-art/canoe-ornaments/

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.

 

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 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/

See All of the Galleries & Sub Galleries Here: https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/

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

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 neighbours.

 

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

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 neighbours.

 

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

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 New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbors.

 

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

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.

 

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