Manhattan Mounted Objects

A wooden wagon wheel on stand. Indonesia, late 19th Century. Reclaimed from an old vehicle, it has been preserved intact, with the exception of the...

A pink stone disk, hand-carved in Indonesia, contemporary. Reminiscent of the traditional "Bi" disks omnipresent throughout Asia since prehistory to symbolize heaven and the cyclic...

Thierry Despont was best-known for his very successful architectural practice—but he was also an accomplished artist. Some of his most interesting works are a series of sculptures fa...

Before coinage became standardized across West and Central Africa, wealth was often held in iron. In parts of present-day northeastern Nigeria and northern Cameroon, highly forged th...

A beautiful stone disk, hand-carved in Indonesia. Mounted on a black metal stand. White onyx, polished and shaped to a perfect shine. 6.75 inches diameter, 2.75 inches deep (stand b...

A large smoky-grey rock crystal quartz disk with beautiful natural veins.  

Group of three rock crystal balls with raised gilt brass bases. Each rock crystal ball has slight incrustation. Measure: (from left to right) 6.5 in/D x ...

A striking expression of pre-colonial value systems, this Igbo iron currency knife from southeastern Nigeria operates at the intersection of economy, ritual, and sculpture. Forged by...

Hardly ever seen Original bronze letters from renovation of a Louis Vuitton store in Paris France. This came to the US from France over 25 years ago. Ver...

A small "blade" sculpture, hand-carved and hand-polished in Indonesia out of a single piece of volcanic green rock. The natural inclusions and losses are left intact to reflect the n...

4" selenite sphere mounted on a brass stand. Selenite is a pearly variety of gypsum named after the Greek goddess of the moon for its sheen, and is a sister stone to alabaster. Multi...

A late 19th century diamond pan from West Kalimantan, in the island of Borneo. At the heart of the Dayak territory, the rivers produced diamonds known for their singular colors. Ho...

A rare paired set of forged iron throwing knives attributed to the Magali and Fali peoples of Northern Cameroon and Northeastern Nigeria—forms that exist at the intersection of weapo...

A shield-shaped antefix from Thailand, early 19th century. Reclaimed from old constructions and preserved in time, these architectural details were a decorative staple in many trad...

A sculptural iron form once used as currency among the Mambila and Chamba peoples of northeastern Nigeria and the Cameroon highlands, this forged hoe-shaped object embodies the inter...

The top of an original antique rice pounder taken from my private collection. We added hand cut mother of pearl shell into the center of this beautiful rare teak wood. Great as an ar...

A decorative stone coin from Bali, Indonesia. Grey stone with raffia rope and seashell appliques. Mounted on a made-to-measure black metal stand. 8 inches in diameter, 12 inches h...

Silver and gold Torah crown, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1925. On silver base decorated with a small gold Stars of David. The lower ribs decorated with applie...

A shield-shaped architectural detail from Thailand, Late 18th Century. Reclaimed from old constructions and preserved in time, these architectural details are a decorative staple in...

It’s fascinating how Mother Nature produces these stunning 40 million year old petrified wood with such contrasting and natural patterns throughout. Modern yet with so much history. ...

A hand-carved stone coin from Indonesia, white color. Round center. Mounted on a black metal stand. Dimensions: 30 inches in diameter, 3 inches thick. Height: 35 inches (mounted on...

Thierry Despont was best-known for his very successful architectural practice—but he was also an accomplished artist. Some of his most interesting works are a series of sculptures fa...

Thierry Despont was best-known for his very successful architectural practice—but he was also an accomplished artist. Some of his most interesting works are a series of sculptures fa...

French gilt bronze harp, 19th century. On marble base.

Thierry Despont was best-known for his very successful architectural practice—but he was also an accomplished artist. Some of his most interesting works are a series of sculptures fa...

Impressive teak wood doors with original hardware. This beautiful door could also be made into a coffee table, used as a head board or hung as a piece of art. The circle meaning is the Yin and the Yang. The black colour is Yin the darkness and white is Yang the clear situation. The left door is 26" wide and the right door is 28" wide. When life-force energy is appropriately balanced between Yin and Yang...

A sculptural iron throwing knife attributed to the Marghi, Mofu, or Kapsiki peoples of northeastern Nigeria and northern Cameroon. Known broadly as a hunga munga, this form transcend...

!8th century French Rococo bronze frame mounted on a velvet covered wood back. Very rare in its rich detail of winged cherubs. This piece was once most certainly a frame for an impor...

Thierry Despont was best-known for his very successful architectural practice—but he was also an accomplished artist. Some of his most interesting works are a series of sculptures fa...

A striking example of West African material culture, this Igbo iron currency knife from Nigeria embodies the intersection of economy, artistry, and ritual within traditional African societies. Before the widespread adoption of coinage and paper money, many regions across Africa used forms of metal currency—objects whose intrinsic material value, craftsmanship, and symbolic form made them widely accepted as units of exchange. Among the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria, iron currency objects such as knives, rods, and bracelets circulated not only as mediums of trade but also as markers of wealth, social status, and ceremonial exchange. This particular form—often referred to as a currency knife—features an elegantly curved profile with a tapering blade-like extension and finely incised surface decoration. Forged and hand-carved from iron, the piece demonstrates the remarkable skill of traditional blacksmiths, whose work held both practical and spiritual significance in Igbo culture. The etched geometric motifs along the surface speak to a visual language of craftsmanship passed through generations, transforming what was once a utilitarian object into a sculptural artifact rich with cultural meaning. Mounted on a custom-made platform for display, the piece now reads as a refined sculptural object. Its weathered iron patina, subtle textural variations, and dynamic crescent silhouette give it a commanding presence—equally compelling as a collectible ethnographic artifact or as a distinctive decorative accent in a contemporary interior. Today, objects like this Igbo currency...

Decorative, large-scale teak apple sculpture on a Carrara marble pedestal. Has a solid brass connector which holds the apple to the marble. The apple is mad...

This unique and one-of-a-kind sterling silver trophy bowling ball by the House of Williams is set on a round, stepped pedestal, mounted on a wooden trophy plinth. There are no inscri...

Before the widespread adoption of coinage, many African societies developed sophisticated systems of exchange using forged metal objects as currency. These iron forms—used in marriag...

Thierry Despont was best-known for his very successful architectural practice—but he was also an accomplished artist. Some of his most interesting works are a series of sculptures fa...

Thierry Despont was best-known for his very successful architectural practice—but he was also an accomplished artist. Some of his most interesting works are a series of sculptures fa...

Thierry Despont was best-known for his very successful architectural practice—but he was also an accomplished artist. Some of his most interesting works are a series of sculptures fa...

Thierry Despont was best-known for his very successful architectural practice—but he was also an accomplished artist. Some of his most interesting works are a series of sculptures fa...

Thierry Despont was best-known for his very successful architectural practice—but he was also an accomplished artist. Some of his most interesting works are a series of sculptures fa...

Thierry Despont was best-known for his very successful architectural practice—but he was also an accomplished artist. Some of his most interesting works are a series of sculptures fa...

Handmade silver Torah finials, chased, pierced, engraved, and cast, France, circa 1860. The finials are constructed with large open-work decorated ball ...

Thierry Despont was best-known for his very successful architectural practice—but he was also an accomplished artist. Some of his most interesting works are a series of sculptures fa...

This giltwood sculpture was carved in the round, probably in southern France or northern Italy in the 1760s. Her pronounced musculature speaks to the ongoing influence of Michelange...