Pacific Islands Folk Art

A Tonga Pakipaki war club, Polynesia, 18th century An exceptional ironwood war club originating from Tonga, Polynesia. 18th century and hand carved with complex geometric patterns running the length of the shaft. 4 human and 1 botanical glyphs and a extra carving, see details in picture 2 The Tongan war club...

A Papua New Guinea yam festival mask of a horn-billed bird from the mid-20th century. This vintage ceremonial mask, also referred to as a baba mask, originates from the Abelam people...

Early woven painted basketry yam mask from Papua New Guinea. Bug eyed or bird faced mask with heavy incrustation from many years of use, a striking mask that ...

A pair of decoratively carved wood splash boards from the southeastern region of Papua, New Guinea, presented on custom stands. This pair of vintage tribal boards have been carved fr...

Early 20th century ceremonial woman's rain hood, Huon Gulf area, Papua New Guinea A very graphic woven fiber ceremonial rain hood worn by women in the Huon ...

Early vintage or antique South Seas carved teak Mermaid, circa 1920s or perhaps earlier, a hand carved upright figure holding a carved shell, with deeply carved flowers in grooved hair flowing down back, shell necklace, and scale pattern throughout her tail. The statue is weathered, has a few age cracks, and the end of the tail is broken. Mounted long ago on a late Victorian brass lamp...

A pair of Papua New Guinea yam festival masks from the mid 20th century. These vintage ceremonial masks, also referred to as a baba mask, originate from the Abelam people, along the ...

The Tribes from the Solomon Islands worshipped the skulls of their ancestors as being the home of their spirits. If no remains of a great man were pres...

Early 20th Century Shield, Wahgi Valley, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea This large, post contact, shield is traditionally decorated in bold colors with a central circle. This ...

A beautiful and large example of Oceanic art, this delightful woven mask would have been used on the gable of a middle Sepik meeting house. The wildly expressive form is accentuated ...

mid-20th century Tami Islands Papua new guinea wooden feast bowl Of classic form, each end carved with raised and incised imagery depicting stylized sea cr...

Note: This listing is for 1 of the Papa New Guinea Splash Boards featured, so if you decide to purchase, let us know which one you'd like. These decorative painted red and dark grey...

Decorative coral sculpture. The coral is from the 1970s and has a beautiful light colored green shade. Medium size coral sculpture.

A painting from a Kwoma ceremonial house ceiling depicting an abstract polychrome pattern on a sago palm spathe. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art: "...

A pair of carved wood catfish head boat prows from Papua New Guinea. This pair of mid-20th century Papua New Guinean boat prows has been carved out of wood and features the head of a...

Abstract and anthropomorphic large figure from the Pie River, located to the east of the Era River. Abstract, anthropomorphic form stands on separate legs with dynamic varying outline, wide hips, and torso leading straight to a rounded head. Figure represents Irivake, the ancestor hero who is considered as the founder of headhunting, also believed to have climbed to the sky and to command lightning. It is enlivened with various curvilinear details highlighted with red and white pigments. The back appears with a collection number in red, and the following: Ipigau (village), Upper Pie River, Papua, P63.20. This is a 'later example', not a first generation piece with several age cracks. It has likely seen field use, but not extensive field use. Provenance: Private New Jersey Collection, ex. Michael Rockefeller...

Originally collected in the Solomon Islands in 1938, this one of a kind treasure from the south pacific comes from a private oceanic collection. This is a Solomon Islands Santa Cruz hand carved figure called a Duka, circa 1930s. It was carved in an extremely hard native wood and features a finely carved, unusual extended conical head, a handwoven loin cloth and turmeric encrustation. For your convenience, many of our photographs were taken in natural day light which accurately illuminate surface areas depicting original dark patina that you would expect from an important early carving such as this one. We will include a complimentary custom wood display base that you see photographed. Dimensions: 21.25 inches high Provenance: collected in l938 and originally acquired by a visiting French collecting tourist in the Solomon Islands then to dealer and Texas collector and to our private collection in year 2000 so could have been a specially crafted fine 1930s tourist sculpture piece for the visiting French tourist. History: Duka sculpture from Nendo Island, politically part of the Solomon Islands, is distinctive, and only a limited number of works have been documented. The conical extension at the back of the head represents a man's hairstyle. Called abe, its construction and shape was a symbol of wealth and high social status, and for older men, it also served the practical purpose of covering bald spots. All Nendo figure refer to deities or supernatural beings (Ellis: 2009, pp. 78-85) Auction sale: Bonhams Auctions April 28, 2015 sale. Exceptional Lime Container...

A very exceptional bridal money as well in shape as in dimensions.

Modern cup coral sculpture designed and crafted by F.S. Henemader, having an organic form and variegated colors. Presented on a Lucite base.