Raccanello Tribal Art
New Ireland Malangan Display Panel circa 1880
Northcoast of New Ireland, Bismarck Archipelago
Published 'Bismarck Archipelago' Pages 264/265
Featuring a delicately carved Ancestor Face flanked by a pair of opposing reef fish. Inset opercula shell eyes secured with paranarium nut paste , two circular kap kap ornaments and two extended earlobes with hanging pendants. The panel has a darkened patina likely from being displayed within the smoky Men's Initiation House. Faded pigments of red ochre , charcoal and lime and a Native repair to right side of the panel. Ex Swiss Collection.
PRICE ON REQUEST
A Rare Banks Islands War Spear, wood , sennet , bamboo.
A superb spear featuring a carved open-worked spearhead set in a bamboo shaft
Ex Nicolai Michoutouchkine, Port Vila, Vanuatu.
Ex private Us Collection
Ex W. Heathcote, UK
L196cm x 5cm. €4000
Reference Arts of Vanuatu J Bonnemaison, K and C Kaufmann. p269
Fig 341 Musée National des arts d’Afrique et D,Oceanie and now at the Musée Du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac Inventory Number 72.1966.16.13 Collected by Jean Guiart.
Also a similarly carved spearhead is seen at The British Museum , collected by Louis-Joseph Bouge (1878-1960) who was a French colonial administrator and scholar-collector who served in New Caledonia in 1899. Oc 1913,1115.143.
An Extremely Old Mundugumor mask, Yuat River 77 cm. high collected in 1972 by Bruce Lawes.
The impressive nature of this Mask, from around the same era Magaret Mead first studied the Mundugamor- Biwat people, shows the artistic malleability of the creators sculptural and creative skills in connecting physical presence of the artwork to the spiritual realm translating the power and belief that spirit realm could be controlled.
Cane, Cassowary Feathers, Cowrie shell and other types of Shell , Boar Tusk. H77cm
This important mask is almost 90 years old given its description in the publication “ NEW GUINEA ART, The Bruce Lawes Collection” a circulating exhibition organised by The Western Association of Art Museums, Oakland California -The exhibition dates 1977-78. Lawes attributes it to the Keram, stating it was believed to be have used as a bridal gift.
Ex Bruce Lawes Collection
Ex W Heathcote, UK
€8000
A Beautiful Mendi Archer's Shield
A Fine decorated patinated and encrusted Archer's Shield, Highlands , Papua New Guinea. H71cm. Early 20th Century featuring ochre painted design to face.
Ex Stan Moriarty, Australia
Ex W. Heathcote UK
€4000
A very Rare Headress, Early 20th Century. Banks Island.
A beautifully fashioned headress from Banks Island, H24cm W50cm featuring a rattan and fibre construction, designed polychrome geometrical shapes with a wonderfully decorated seed dome top.
A similar piece with similar designs is published in Felix Speiser's 'Ethnology of Vanuatu' ,Colour Plate xxxvii and Plate 99. It was displayed in the Museum für Völkerkunde in Leipzig, 5311 first published in 1923. The famous Anthropologist spent two years from 1910-1912 collecting and studying in the field collecting and studying.
Ex Nicolai Michoutouchkine, Port Vila , Vanuatu. Ex Private Collection, USA. €7500
A Beautiful Rare Carved Platter, Tahiti
A beautifully carved Ceremonial Umete fashioned from a single piece of Tamanu wood.Featuring four tear shape feet, a pouring spout and a shaped grip to edge. L66cm W46cm A beautiful honey brown patina.
€7700
For a similar example see Bonhams's , Oceanic Art 11 February 2012.
An Important Atchin Island Canoe Prow or Am'buass, Vanuatu . Ex Korrigane Expedition
Carved as a standing pig behind the pierced and curved tip, the forked section pierced three times on each side for attachment, old accession number D./39.3./157 and additional painted number 403. Vanuatu.
It would be owned by an important tribal figure tied to canoe before sailing and taken off after the trip.
Collected on the voyage of La Korrigane, the prow was purchased on Atchin Island in June 1935 for ten shillings. It was subsequently exhibited at the Musée de l'Homme in Paris.
87cm. long
€7500
Early Rare 20th Century Love Charm, Lower Sepik River. Ex Alex Bernand, London
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During my research I found that the function of these sculptures is as a Love Charm, The American Anthropologist, Albert Lewis, revealed that they would be hung above a bed magically making someone to fall in love with owner of the object.
Similar Examples though older are visible in Richard Neuhauss' Deutsch Neu-Guinea, Band 1 who collected one circa 1910 and a similar example lot 99 Christie's Tribal Art 18 March 1980
€3000
Built with Shorthand