Rare Old New Guinea Wealth Axes from Bougainville Island Papua New Guinea

Rare Old New Guinea Wealth Axes from Bougainville Island Papua New Guinea

These old and beautifully shaped Wealth Stone Axes are only found in Bougainville or Buka Islands in the now semi-autonomous area of Papua New Guinea.  They are purely an object of traditional wealth that can be used to pay bridal dowries or compensation over disputes over land or resources. Sometimes these stones will have a twisted bamboo handle that is only to better show the stone. As far as I know, this shape is unique in Papua New Guinea or the nearby Solomon Islands.  Made from the hard stone of elongated form and tapered to a slightly flaring end on both ends of the stones. They have that refined aesthetic like a the Micronesian outlier bowls from Wuvulu Island.  These two Stone Wealth Axes are 19th Century or earlier but they could also easily be 200 to 300  years old.  One thing for sure is they are rare, in my 38 years as a collector and oceanic art dealer I have had three examples, these two plus one that had the twisted bamboo handle.

Though Bougainville and Buka Islands are now semi-autonomous areas of Papua New Guinea, culturally they are more related to the people of the Western Solomon Islands which is just a short boat ride away. In previous times people moved back & forth freely between the Western Solomon’s & Bougainville and Buka Islands.  Bougainville and Buka Islands just like the  Solomon Islands have many indigenous forms of wealth, made from shell, porpoise and dog’s teeth, feathers and stone, used for mortuary and bride exchanges, compensations, and sometimes commodity exchanges. They equate European definitions of ‘currency’ or ‘money’ to widely varying degrees (sometimes ‘valuables’ or ‘wealth’ are more accurate terms). Each island, and sometimes different groups on the same island, had their own valuables. Some rare forms were sacred and kept only by chiefs and priests.  Little is known about these rare Wealth Stones Axes, if you know any more about them I would be very happy to hear from you.

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. 

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.