A pair of monkey skull amulets

Papua New Guinea, 18th-19th century L. 22.5 x W. 18 cm (approx.) Provenance: Collected by Schulze-Westrum Collection Rinck Hollnberger, Munich (purchased in the 1980s or 1990s) For a comparable skull see the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The heads of humans and of animals such as crocodiles and pigs formerly played integral roles in the ceremonial life of Papuan Gulf peoples, who considered the heads to be vessels of life-giving supernatural power. Within men’s ceremonial houses, human skulls were displayed, together with sacred images such as spirit boards or gope, by the members of each clan in a specially constructed clan shrine. However, not all heads required the death of an enemy. In some areas, heads made from wood or other materials appear to have had powers equal to actual ones. In contrast to skulls, the facial features of wood heads were sometimes depicted as they appeared in life. This example comes from the Wapo Creek area, where wood heads appear to have been used interchangeably with actual skulls. When headhunting was abolished by Australian colonial...

Bamileke, Cameroon, early 20th century Among the Bamileke people, only members of the Kuosi society (the elephant society) are permitted to perform elephant masquerades, symbolizing...

Indonesia, Nias, 19th century H. 37.5 x W. 10 cm Sculptures like the one present are not only decorative items but are believed to be vessels that house the spirits of ancestors and are used to communicate with them. After the death of a person a wooden image or Adu Zatua was made to mediate between the human world and the spiritual realm. These kinds of figures were commissioned by noble Nias families, whereas simple and lesser quality carvings generally were found among lower class families. In this particularly fine example, the sculptor has paid careful attention to the proportions of the different parts of the body, dividing it into three main sections – the head, the torso, and the legs. The shapes are sometimes flat, round, or have notches, but all are perfectly in balance creating a certain divine tranquillity. This Adua Zatua’s ears are decorated with earrings, and it is wearing a headdress, pointing towards a chiefly provenance. In 1914 the Dutch gained complete control of the island of Nias and started spreading Protestant Christianity. Many ancestor statues...

Amarasi district, Kupang regency, West Timor island, early 20th century

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...

Add a touch of culture with this striking small tribal mask. Its intricate design makes it a captivating decorative piece for any wall.

Add a touch of culture with this striking tribal mask. Its intricate design makes it a captivating decorative piece for any wall. Size without the feathers: 22cmx14cmx8cm.

A Powerful Baule Mask With rich dark ‘lacquered black’ patina, excellent colour with areas of ‘kaolin’ Wood Ivory Coast Early 20th Century Size: 32.5cm high - 12¾ ins high Prov...