Oceanic Tribal Art

Fine Aboriginal Wunda shield in carved with Zigzag Geometric fluted design colored with red and cream pigment. As well as a collectible historical Tribal artefact this Shield makes ...

Antique Māori Carved Hardwood Architectural Panel – Tiki Design A Rare and finely carved antique Māori hardwood architectural element, likely originati...

A superbly executed carved and painted Crocodile Headrest from the Sepik region of Papua new Guinea The crocodile image finely carved in linear form with serrated tail with the cane Legs, the crocodile is revered and is a important part of the mythology of the Sepik region and features heavily in Sepik 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...

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 ...

Created by the Massim Peoples from Trobriand Islands off New Guinea. A standing animal wood sculpture, probably of a tree kangaroo with shell eyes. Finely incised designs on parts ...

Impressively carved from a single block of wood, this monumental male spirit or ancestor figure originates from the Middle Sepik region of Papua New Guinea. The figure combines stron...

Vintage Papua New Guinea Tribal Tapa Cloth A striking vintage tapa cloth from Papua New Guinea, handcrafted from natural barkcloth and decorated with traditional tribal motifs. Made...

This striking early 20th century tapa bark cloth from Western Samoa and the greater Tongan cultural sphere is a rare and powerful example of Pacific Island textile artistry. Hand-pai...

Papua New Guinea standing figure from the Bioma peoples with raised designs, stylized classic face, and additional face in stomach. Mounted on custom metal and wood base. Traces of...

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...

Impressive hand carved wooden shield by the Asmat people of Papua New Guinea, featuring bold symmetrical motifs and traces of original white and dark pigment. The elongated form is crowned by a stylized ancestral figure, giving the piece a strong sculptural and ceremonial presence. Asmat shields...

Tapa cloth made from mulberry fiber with natural pigments, Fiji, mid-20th century.

A pair of Papua New Guinea Mendi wooden war shields on custom stands from the mid-20th century. This pair of war shields originate from the Mendi region, within the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. These oceanic war shields were not only created for protecting oneself for tribal warfare, but also in ancestral and ritual worship. They are adorn in various motifs, coloring and symbolism, intended to protect the carrier from magic and bring fear to the opponent. The shields are displayed upright on a custom black iron Stand, with the tallest of the set standing at a height of over 4.5 ft tall. This pair of Papua New Guinea shields...

A 19th century boomerang from Australia. Good patina and presented on a stand.

A monumental, rare and important Oceanic Papuan Asmat People tribal carved war shield from the first half of the 20th century, collected from the coast of the headhunting tribe in Papua New Guinea, a Provincial Indonesian island in the mid 20th century. Among the Asmat, war shields are the most powerful symbolic element of a warrior's equipment, and have many layers of meaning. Traditionally, they were functional items used to protect warriors in battle by deflecting an enemy's spears and arrows. The carved and painted images on the surface of the shields were also intended to frighten the enemy and symbolize the power of the ancestors. Ancestral imagery appears on multiple forms of Asmat art...

Ceremonial Oceanian Mask made of Vegetal fibers covered with colored clay in certain parts probably used for ceremonial events . The organic and strange shape is well known in these ...

Large dark reddish brown carved wood mask with underlying traces of red pigment, from New Guinea Sepik River Area. Strong downward looking expression, carved fringe edges. Signs of...

Yua Shell Currency, Bride’s Price Sepik River Region, Papua New Guinea Hand carved from a clam shell Measures: 7.5 x 8.5 in / 19 x 22 cm Height on c...

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...

Two Oceanic ceremonial weapons from PNG highlands circa 20th century. It consists of two pieces. The first is an ax with a wood shaft and a flat elongated he...

Early Papua New Guinea painted Maprik carved hard wood mask with long curved tongue. Mid-20th century, Provenance: ex Michael Hamson, CA with label on back. Classic Maprik colo...

Yua Shell Currency, Bride’s Price Sepik River Region, Papua New Guinea Hand carved from a clam shell Measures: 7 x 7.5 in / 18 x 19 cm Height on cus...

19th century throwing club, ula, Fiji A heavy throwing club made of dense hardwood with the handle finely carved with geometric motifs and an unexpected detail on the ball head - se...

This belt is a traditional ceremonial men's ornament, knotted from a strong heavy handmade cord and showing a dark patina vegetable dye. Two rows of cowries are used to cover the su...

Tapa dance shield. Baining People, New Britain, Papua New Guinea. First half, 20th century Pounded mulberry bark painted with natural pigments Measure...

Early hand carved stone axe with face, long nose with pierced nostrils, framed by loose oval form. Round eyes and slit mouth. Old worn surface. 8 1/2 inches high, early to mid 20th...

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...

A ritual artifact from the tribe of the Asmat poeple, an ethnic group of New Guinea living in the Papua province of Indonesia and South-western regions of Papua New Guinea, bis or bisj pole is carved out of a wild Mangrove tree and can reach a stunning height Their carvings depict stacked human and animal figures standing and on top always phallic symbols, in the shape of a canoe prow. Bis poles...

A wonderful 20th Century Samoan/Fijian circular wooden kava bowl called a tanoa fai'ava and carved from a single piece of wood and standing on seventeen round legs. Made of a native ...

Late 19th-early 20th Bailer shell pectoral, Highlands, possibly Mendi People, Papua New Guinea These large shell pectorals were worn ceremonially by men and women in Papua New Guine...

An Unusual Polynesian Fighting Club With a superb geometric upper section and unusual spiral twist grip Dark glossy patina and excellent colour, with a lug to the butt and ‘old’ pa...

A Mendi 'Compensation' or 'Revenge' Doll, traditionally made with pandanus leaves, bilum string, shells, wood, seeds and objets trouve with pigments. These dolls represent individua...

This is a hand crafted boomerang from the Outback. This boomerang is beautiful tribal art. It's carved and crafted out of an indigenous wood of Australia. It's burnished saying Niyaa...

A Finely Carved Polynesian Maori Feather ‘Treasure Box’ and Cover With superb colour and patina Wood, haliotis (abalone) shell New Zealand Early ...

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 contemporary painting by Australian Aboriginal artist Ronnie Tjampitjinpa (1943-2023). Entitled "Rain Dreaming", the artwork was acrylic on canvas and painted in 1999 Fully documented: originally purchased in 1999 from Kimberley Australian Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, cat. no. KA 708/99; The in the collection of The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica; It was exhibited in: "G'Day LA" Australia Week, in partnership with the Australian Consulate Los Angeles, Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood, CA, 15-25 January 2004. It is housed in a black thin wood frame. Ronnie Tjampitjinpa was born in Pintupi land at Muyinnga, about 100 kilometres west of the Kintore Range, just across the Western Australian border. He is the son of Uta Uta Tjangala’s older brother, Minpuru Tjangala (c.1899–1976). Artist's Biography (Courtesy of Art Gallery NSW) After his initiation into Pintupi law at the site of Yumari, Tjampitjinpa and his younger brother Smithy Zimran Tjampitjinpa walked into the Aboriginal community of Yuendumu. They later joined their parents and other siblings – who had come in to Ikuntji (Haasts Bluff) in 1956 from the Dover Hills/Yumari area – at the new settlement of Papunya. Tjampitjinpa worked as a labourer, assisting with the fencing of the aerodromes at Papunya and Ikuntji. He was one of the youngest of the group of men who began painting at the start of the Western Desert art movement in 1971, and was a founder of Paunya Tula Artists. During the 1970s, Tjampitjinpa was preoccupied with returning to his traditional lands and became a strong advocate for the outstation movement, travelling between meetings in Papunya, Yuendumu, Wirrimanu (Balgo) and Mount Doreen Station. His goal was finally achieved with the establishment of the Walungurru (Kintore) settlement in 1981. Tjampitjinpa moved there with his young family in 1983, establishing an outstation at Ininti (Redbank) and serving as chairman of the Kintore Outstation Council. During this period, he emerged as one of Papunya Tula Artists’ major painters, pioneering the bold, scaled-up, linear style that came to dominate many of the Walungurru painters’ work during the 1990s. His distinctive aesthetic preoccupa-tion is exemplified in the untitled works of 1994 and 2001. Now one of the last founding members of Papunya Tula Artists, Tjampitjinpa’s career spans more than 40 years. He has had six solo exhibitions since 1989 in Australia, most recently at Utopia Art, Sydney. Throughout the 1980s Tjampitjinpa worked devotedly on a land claim for Ininti, holding meetings in Darwin, Warmun (Turkey Creek...

A Ceremonial Mask Wood Pentecost Island, Vanuatu Early 20th Century Size: 32cm high, 11cm wide, 7.5cm deep - 12½ ins high, 4¼ ins wide, 3 ins deep Provenance: Ex Private coll...

A triptych panel painting by Australian Aboriginal artist Ronnie Tjampitjinpa (1943-2023). Entitled "Tingari Cycle", the artwork was painted in 2002 for Art Mob, Tasmania in oil on c...

This rare antique Kukukuku (pronounced "cookah-cookah") war club originates from the Morobe Province, which is a very remote area located within the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Gu...

This striking piece of Samoan Tapa cloth speaks to the history of the South Pacific islanders who have made these beautiful barkcloth artworks for generations and with it's repeating...

This striking early 20th century tapa bark cloth from Western Samoa and the greater Tongan cultural sphere is a rare and powerful example of Pacific Island textile artistry. Hand-pai...

Tapa Headdress, Lepau, Santa Cruz Island, East Solomon Islands Paper mulberry tree inner bark, natural dye Late 19th to early 20th century 67.5 by 18 inches (171.4 by 45.7 cm) Ex pri...

Papua New Guinea standing male figure carved hardwood fragment, possibly from canoe? Back broken away and then cut and smoothed (probably by original baser) Based on period block of...

This rare antique Kukukuku (pronounced "cookah-cookah") war club is from the remote Morobe Province located within the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. The head is carved from...

Aboriginal fiber art camp dog, known as Jamu. Artist: Yolanda Rostron. Year of birth: 1979. Nationality: Australian. Region: South Central Arnhem Land. Language group: Rembarrng...

Large hand carved Asmat shield from Papua, New Guinea, featuring an expressive symmetrical composition with traditional scroll and ancestral motifs in nat...

Title: Gumatj Ceremonial chest paint Medium: Acrylic on canvas Size: 32" H x 28.5" W Date created: November 2006 Artist: Terrence Gaypamany Gurruwiwi Language: Glapu Date of birth: 06/09/1984 The painting depicts the traditional body paint onto the chest during ceremonies of the local aboriginal communities. It is signed by the artist on verso as shown and also retains a stamp from Elcho Island Art...

This striking early 20th century tapa bark cloth from Western Samoa and the greater Tongan cultural sphere is a rare and powerful example of Pacific Island textile artistry. Hand-pai...

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...

Old woven painted basketry yam helmet style mask from Papua New Guinea. Hollow woven form with many layers of red and white pigments from many years of ceremonial use. A helmet style...

A fine, older Melanesian ebony wood carving. From the Trobriand Islands. In the form of a crouching tree kangaroo (black dorcopsis) with geometric...

A wonderful, unique, and very engaging original acrylic on canvas painting titled "Hunting Dreaming" by indigenous Australian Aboriginal artist B...

Oceanic Schouten islands Pounder Papua New Guinea A Fine old hard wood Pounder or pestle with a standing female figure from the schouten islands off the north coast of Papua new Gui...

Papua New Guinea: Talipun, Boiken, Sepik River Region  Northern Papua New Guinea, 20th Century  A fine example of the rich cultural heritage of Papua New ...

Standing Sepik River Area of Papua New Guinea, male stocky figure with hands on hips, and remains of red pigments Strong expression, with semi-circular ears, incised line scarificati...

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...

This piece is an excellent example of an adornment used by Abelam warriors to frighten their enemies. They are held in a warrior’s mouth for courage and to intimidate their adversary...

A wonderful, unique, and quite engaging original painting titled "Snake And Milky Way Dreaming" by indigenous Australian Aboriginal artist Janet ...

Ornately decorated rim, with abstract carvings on bottom. Beautiful rich patina.