Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
to
7
17
1
18
1
2
1
17
1
4
12
11
10
2
2
1
201
856
589
456
260
19
19
19
Place of Origin: Pacific Islands
Early Papua New Guinea Sepik Woven Yam Mask Yellow Pigments on Custom Base
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early Papua New Guinea Sepik River area tightly woven raffia yam mask with areas of heavy yellow and black pigments. In profile small bird beak form at bottom...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Organic Material
Large Oceanic Gope Carved Wooden Ancestor Spirit Board
Located in Forney, TX
An Oceanic "Gope" Papuan ancestral spirit board, 20th century, collected from the Gulf Province, Papua, New Guinea, Kerewa or Hohao village tribe.
Hand...
Category
20th Century Folk Art Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Metal
Solomon Islands Santa Cruz Hand Carved Conical Head "Duka" Figure, 1930s
Located in South Burlington, VT
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...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Tapestry, Wood
Early Papua New Guinea Sepik Woven Raffia Talipun Mask Red Pigments ex Hamson
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early Papua New Guinea Sepik tightly woven raffia mask from a talipun bride price currency piece. Old very encrusted surface.
Areas of red and other pigments. Wonderful heart shaped...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Organic Material
Large Early Papua New Guinea Carved Coconut Scoop or Spoon with Figure
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Large Early Papua New Guinea Carved Coconut Scoop or Spoon with Figure
Scoop is 3 x 4 3/4 x 4 3/4", on custom wood and metal base total height 7 1/2 ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Organic Material
Early Papua New Guinea Painted Maprik Wood Mask Curves Old Pigments
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early Papua New Guinea painted Maprik carved hard wood mask. Mid-20th century, with wonderful curved expressive asymmetrical face. Long nose with pierced septum. Faded polychrome pig...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Organic Material, Wood
Early Papua New Guinea Sepik Woven Raffia Talipun Mask With Pigments Custom Base
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early Papua New Guinea Sepik tightly woven raffia mask from a talipun bride price currency.
Areas of white, black and red pigments. Wonderful heart shaped face with open eyes and mouth.
This mask or face would have been tied to a large shell which was the currency used...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Organic Material
Early Papua New Guinea Weathered Sepik Stylized Hook Figure Mask
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early Papua New Guinea abstract hook figure or mask with two opposing hooks, and central looped design, Sepik River area. Some chips missing to central loops. Small hole at top for s...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Organic Material
Vintage South Seas Carved Teak Mermaid
Located in Nantucket, MA
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...
Category
Early 20th Century Folk Art Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Teak
Early Papua New Guinea Sepik Light Wood Yam Mask Elegant Flame Shaped Form
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early Papua New Guinea Sepik light wood yam mask. Elegant flame shaped form, old, oxidized wood with black accents, traces of yellow and white pigments. Small...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Organic Material, Wood
Early Papua New Guinea Painted Maprik Wood Head or Mask, Strong Expression
Located in Point Richmond, CA
From Papua New Guinea an early painted Maprik carved wood head sculpture or mask, intense expression showing teeth, and two opposing stylize...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Organic Material, Wood
Early Papua New Guinea Painted Maprik Wood Mask Long Tongue Ex M. Hamson
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early Papua New Guinea painted Maprik carved hard wood mask with long curved tongue. Mid-20th century, ex Michael Hamson, CA with label on back.
Classic Maprik colors with faded po...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Organic Material, Wood
Three Early Miniature Papua New Guinea Sepik Woven Yam Masks on Custom Bases
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Group of three early Papua New Guinea Sepik miniature tightly woven raffia yam mask with areas of heavy yellow and black pigments.
Different Bird imagery in...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Organic Material
Surrealist Carved Wood Vessel by Len Brown in the Form of a Hand Holding a Vase
Located in Round Top, TX
Surrealist carved Koa wood vase with a hand form "holding" the vessel. Early 20th century dada works by those such as Marcel Duchamp would have certainly found kinship in the concept...
Category
Early 20th Century Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Hardwood
Papua New Guinea Carved-Wood Lumi Shield on Custom Iron Stand
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Papua New Guinea carved-wood Lumi shield from the mid-20th century. This vintage war shield from the West Sepik region, the northwestern most province of...
Category
Mid-20th Century Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Iron
Stirrup Vessel Wood Hand- Carved Massim People Papua New Guinea
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Wood Carved Stirrup Vessel, or Pipe, Massim people, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea.
Hand-carved wood in the form of a large animal with a top ci...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Rockefeller Irivake Figure
Located in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon
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...
Category
Mid-20th Century Primitive Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Solomon Islands Coral Stone Ancestor's Carved Head
Located in Leuven , BE
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...
Category
1890s Antique Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Coral
Andreas Dettloff 2003 “My Polynesian Heart”
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Wonderful Sculpture by the noted German born Tahitian artist Andreas Dettloff. The sculpture is titled “My Polynesian Heart” and dated 2003. It, or an extremely similar one is depict...
Category
Early 2000s Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Shell, Rubber, Paper
Related Items
Late 19th Century Carved Wooden Angel
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Impressive wood carved angel with amazing detail. Certainly the work of a master carver. Found among the entire contents of a Catholic Church in the Midwest which was said to have cl...
Category
19th Century Folk Art Antique Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Gesso, Wood, Paint
Nautical Folk Art Hand Carved Wooden Whimsy
Located in Brooklyn, NY
American whimsy with traditional 'ball in cage' decoration, all carved and whittled from one continuous piece of wood, circa early 20th century. The bottom tip suggests that this pie...
Category
1910s Folk Art Vintage Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Vintage African Pair of Wooden Hand Carved Busts Sculptures
By Karl Hagenauer
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Wood sculpture hand carved vintage tribal Folk Art bust of an African men and women sculptures.
Pair of vintage handcrafted wood sculptures of African men and women bust with headdress and jewelry.
These two busts depict tribal African couple...
Category
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Hardwood
Robert 'Mouseman' Thompson Folk Art Carved Oak Oval Cutting or Cheese Board
By Robert Thompson
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This solid oak oval cutting board was made by the renowned English furniture maker Robert 'Mouseman' Thompson in his signature Arts & Crafts style. The cutting board has a raised han...
Category
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Oak
Hand-Carved, Polychromed Panel with from Madura Island, Java, Indonesia, c. 1900
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
A wonderfully hand-carved wooden panel with floral motifs from the Indonesian island of Madura, off the coast of eastern Java. This decorative panel once adorned a traditional Madura...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
H 50.4 in W 50.4 in D 1.78 in
Indonesian 'Wayang Kulit" Shadow Puppet, Java, Indonesia, Early 20th Century
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This flat shadow puppet was crafted on the island of Java by a puppet artist using buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. It features movable arms, controlled by outer bamboo rod...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Leather, Wood
H 22.05 in W 11.82 in D 0.02 in
Indonesian 'Wayang Kulit" Shadow Puppet, Java, Indonesia, Early 20th Century
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This flat shadow puppet was crafted on the island of Java by a puppet artist using buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. It features movable arms, controlled by outer bamboo rods (however this puppet lost one of its bamboo rods over the years due to age) It was used in Wayang puppet...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Leather, Wood
H 18.51 in W 10.24 in D 0.02 in
Indonesian 'Wayang Kulit" Shadow Puppet, Java, Indonesia, Early 20th Century
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This flat shadow puppet was crafted on the island of Java by a puppet artist using buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. It features movable arms, controlled by outer bamboo rods (however this puppet lost one of its bamboo rods over the years due to age) It was used in Wayang puppet...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Leather, Wood
H 26.38 in W 13.78 in D 0.02 in
Antique Ethnic Artifact Sepik River Cassowary Bone from Papua New Guinea
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Antique Ethnic Artifact Sepik River Cassowary Bone from Papua New Guinea
For many groups in Papua New Guinea, bone was an important medium for making tools of all types. This artifact is made from leg bone of a cassowary, a large, flightless, and extremely dangerous, bird.
Cassowaries also play an important role in the mythology of groups in the Sepik River area.
Though no longer used these bone artifacts are still used ceremonially. They often play important roles in male initiation and other rituals. They are also worn as personal adornment by tucking them into a band of braided fibers worn around the upper arm.
Antique Ethnic Bone Cassowary Artifact with minimal carving and incised design confined to the joint end.
A small hole has been drilled through from both sides of the top and presumably for the threading of a cord.
The bone has been partially divided near the top and to form two prongs that project down the back of the dagger possibly allowing the user to wear is tuck into a waist band or belt.
Origin Papua New Guinea Maprik Dist Area
From the Art Collection of Marian and John Scott, acquired in 1962.
Similar items are in display in the Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology.
Purchased from the amazing private collection of Mark Lissauer who spent his life collecting niche ethnographic pieces.
About Mark Lissauer:
Mark Lissauer spent forty years travelling abroad for months at a time collecting ethnographic artefacts primarily from New Guinea and the islands of the West Pacific, and from Asia and Himalayan countries. Fluent in five languages and having in the course of business travelled to more than forty countries, Mark is well-known to museums and art-collectors around the world for his long career and his interesting and diverse collection of rare ethnographic material.
Mark knows the origin and symbolism of each piece. Through extensive research and more than ninety trips around the globe, Mark familiarised himself with the traditions of the various cultures he visited in order to understand the meaning of each object to its region and tribe. His home has a specialist library and several rooms are filled with tribal carvings, textiles and ethnographica.
He acquired his first tribal piece in 1948 during a business trip to Milne Bay, New Guinea, and has since documented the acquisition of some 35,000 items. Several thousands of these have been sold to important private collections and museums worldwide, including the Rockefeller Museum, the British Museum and the Musée National des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie, now incorporated into the Louvre Museum.
Estimator certificate of authenticity by Wayne Heathcote Tribal Art Dealer and Expert.
Heathcote has a flash gallery in Brussels, where much of the tribal art business is centred, and is an expert at Sotheby's tribal art sale...
Category
Early 20th Century Folk Art Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Bone
Indonesian 'Wayang Kulit" Shadow Puppet, Java, Indonesia, Early 20th Century
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This flat shadow puppet was crafted on the island of Java by a puppet artist using buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. It features movable arms, controlled by outer bamboo rods. It was used in Wayang...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Leather, Wood
H 15.75 in W 13.39 in D 0.02 in
19th-Early 20th Century Tantric Hook and Snare, Nepal
Located in Point Richmond, CA
19th to early 20th century Iron hook and snare, Nepal
A rare, esoteric device used by Buddhist Tantric practitioners in Tibet and Nepal as a method of controlling events. These powe...
Category
Late 19th Century Tribal Antique Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Iron
German Carved Wooden Figure of Shepherdess with a Sheep
Located in Barntrup, DE
Beautiful hand carved wooden figurine of an adorable girl - shepherdess with a sheep.
Dimensions: Height 35.5 cm / in, width 13 cm / in, ...
Category
1930s Folk Art Vintage Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Previously Available Items
Stirrup Vessel Wood Hand- Carved Massim People Papua New Guinea
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Wood Carved Stirrup Vessel, or Pipe, Massim people, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea.
Hand-carved wood in the form of a large animal with a top ci...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Early Papua New Guinea Sepik Hard Wood Yam Mask Red and Black
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early Papua New Guinea Sepik hard wood yam mask with areas of red, black and white pigments.
Mask is 10 inches high, on custom metal base total height 12 1/2...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Organic Material, Wood
Early Papua New Guinea Sepik Wood Yam Mask Yellow Red and Black on Custom Base
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early Papua New Guinea Sepik hard wood yam mask with areas of yellow, red, black and white pigments. Expressive face.
Mask is 8 1/2 inches high, on custom metal base total height 12 ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Organic Material, Wood
H 8.5 in W 3.25 in D 2.75 in
Chinese 19 Century Wood Carving Ancestor Flying on Crane Mounted Plexi Stand
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Chinese 18th/19 century wood carving with Ancestor holding an open book flying on the back of a bird, possibly a crane, with outstretched wings. Traces of old paint and polychrome over all. Markings on back. Mounted on period plexi Stand...
Category
19th Century Tribal Antique Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
H 11 in W 18 in D 1.25 in
Polynesian Carved Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A small, hand-carved Polynesian sculpture from the Marquesas Islands with soft curved wood grain throughout. Carved from a solid piece of wood, th...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Easter Island Moai Monolithic Head Statue, Small Version
Located in Vero Beach, FL
Easter Island Moai Monolithic head statue, Small Version
A unique striking diminutive version of the colossal ancient monolithic head sculptures ...
Category
Early 20th Century Other Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Stone
Large New Guinea Stylized Wood Figure Papuan Gulf, Geometric Face and Body
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Large carved light wood standing stylized figure with geometric face, second face in body with wild arms. Projecting rectangular ears. Carved "v" in rear with holes for attachment to...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
H 31.5 in W 5.25 in L 31.5 in
Tall Elegant Maprik Standing Wood Figure from Papua New Guinea, Mid-20th Century
Located in Point Richmond, CA
A tall thin standing figure carved of hard wood, with hands on hips, wearing armbands, with remains of yellow pigments on face, black beard and top of head...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
H 39 in W 5 in D 3.5 in
Pre-Contact New Guinea Large Ground Stone Disc Mace Head Neolithic Modern Form
Located in Point Richmond, CA
An early pre-contact ground stone disc mace head from New Guinea, with circular hole for attaching to a handle, simple raised shape around hole on one side, early 20th century or ear...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Stone
H 6.5 in W 6.75 in D 1.25 in
Pitcairn Island "Mutiny on the Bounty" Hand Carved Flying Fish
Located in New York, NY
Carved by the descendants of Fletcher Christian (1764-1793), the master’s mate on the HMS bounty. On 28 April 1789, Fletcher Christian led a mutiny on-board the bounty...
Category
20th Century Folk Art Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Papua New Guinea Irian Jaya Indonesia Asmat Carved Wood Shield, 19th Century
Located in Studio City, CA
An incredible work by the Asmat people, a tribal people of New Guinea who currently reside in the Papua province of Indonesia. The Asmat peoples are one o...
Category
19th Century Tribal Antique Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Warren Christian Pitcairn Island Carved Miro Goblets
Located in London, GB
Warren Christian Pitcairn Island carved Miro goblets
We are proud to offer a rare pair early 20th century matched pair of Pitcairn Island souvenir car...
Category
Early 20th Century Folk Art Pacific Islands Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
