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Oceanic & African Arts — Webb's

Auction House:Webb'sNumber of lots recorded:349
Sale Title:Oceanic & African ArtsLots with images:323
Auction Location:AucklandPrices available:188
Date:26-Mar-2013
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Fine Pende mask, a beautiful mask; the mouth, eyes and rim pierced; scarification to cheeks and forehead; attached natural-fibre headdress to top and a fine original patina of red, white and black pigment. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Length 25.5 cm. Width 20 cm. Depth 25 cm
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Fanti figure, a fine female standing figure; the cylindrical torso with protruding breasts and navel, a lobed neck supporting head with stylised features below an elaborate coiffure that rests on the ears. Scarification incisions decorate the body; glass-bead strand adorns the hips. Light-brown patina with traces of kaolin. Ghana. Length 42.5 cm. Width 10 cm.
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Zaramo figure highly stylised female torso with a crested head. Used by female initiates during seclusion and coming-out ceremonies. Rich, brown patina. Tanzania. Length 18 cm. Width 4.8 cm.
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Dogon figure female figure standing atop a flattened circular base. Slightly bent legs support an elongated torso with conical breasts that extend from squared shoulders. Slender arms, resting gently to side. Head has worn facial features. Rich, brown patina. Length 24 cm. Width 6.5 cm.
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Currency blade sculptural, iron-throwing knife/currency blade. These throwing knives were recognised as currency and traded by the Fang ethnic group of Gabon. Length 48 cm. Width 44 cm.
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Baule Tapper and gong, a very good example; the tapper in the form of a janus head with twisted shaft and circular striker; incised designs decorate the head and end. The gong in arrow form made of iron. Ivory Coast. Height 25 cm. Width 14 cm.
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Bete mask the forward face shadowed with a large, domed forehead; two horns/tusks rest upon the finely carved nose; pierced eyes and rim; semi-circular-shaped mouth with a protruding tongue. Mid-brown, variated patina. Ivory Coast/Liberia. Length 26 cm. Width 16 cm
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Superb Dan mask, of hollowed form with pointed chin, pierced rim for attachment, mouth pierced, superbly carved lips, circular pierced eyes below a raised forehead. Wears an encrusted, tightly woven beard. Rich, dark patina. Ivory Coast. Length 35 cm. Width 1 2.2 cm.
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Gelede mask representing a human face with the coiffure and head adornment decorated with incised chevron and cross designs. Finely carved facial features and a pierced rim for attachment. Wood with a polychrome patina of red, black and green. Nigeria. Length 20 cm. Width 19 cm. Depth 30 cm
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Yoruba beaded Crown, a spectacular example used by the Yoruba Kings in Nigeria. Yoruba rulers wear crowns on state occasions and during public functions., a built-up, hollowed, cup-shaped base with raised facial features and animal form standing above; the Crown is then embellished over the entire surface with multi-coloured beads. Nigeria. Length 27 cm. Width 25 cm.
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Fine pair of Ibeji figures Superbly carved male and female figures with fine, strongly carved bodies and ovoid heads offering strong facial features including large dome-like eyes and outward-pointing ears. The figures are adorned with strands of blue beads. Rich, palm-oiled patina. Length 27.5 cm; length 28.5 cm.-
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Early ivory Divination Tappers with a fine patination and cross hatched carved handles. 18th-19th century. Length 75 cm. Width 6 cm; length 70 cm. Width 5.5 cm.
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Superb Dogon mask the rectangular, pierced eyes flank a raised, elongated nose; a tapering curved projection forms the body of the face; circular G-shaped ears and an ovoid shaped head. Mali. Length 31 cm. Width 14 cm
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Makonde figure, a strong male standing with the arms free of the body and resting on abdomen- ; large ovoid head with well-defined features; scarification markings to head and body. Rich, reddish-brown patina. Height 44 cm.
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Baule Colonial figure, a standing female figure, with muscular legs, leading to a cylindrical torso with hands resting to the sides; elongated neck decorated with elaborate raised scarification, the face with stylised features, and wearing backswept coiffure. Cloth. Varied and painted polychrome patina. Height 37 cm. Width 10 cm.
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Fine Kota reliquary figure, a hollowed, oval-shaped face with overlaid cross pattern to inside; a triangular elongated nose and dome-shaped eyes. Punched with circular decoration to top rim. Cylindrical, elongated neck leading to the body in diamond form; back is undecorated. Wood, overlaid metal. Gabon. Height 56.5 cm. Width 28.5 cm. Depth 5.6 cm
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Congo Colonial figure This figure has small, well-defined features to head and face, an elongated neck and body; the arms are carved free of the body and end in hands resting to the side; the legs have slightly bent knees; the chest has a hollow for fetish material. Rich, well-used patina. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Height 26 cm. Width 5 cm
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Fine Kuba cup, a beautiful kuba cup representing an anthropomorphic standing figure; carved hands rest to the hip; coiffure decorated with a cross-hatched pattern; fine scarification to the face, legs and torso; two large curved horns elegantly frame the head. Rich, glossy patina. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Height 26 cm. Width 11.5 cm.
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Chiwara - Mali in the superbly stylised form of a female antelope, the chiwara stands upon a rectangular platform which is pierced for attachment to a headdress. Faceted, angular plains form the body and legs., an elongated tubular neck with a leather collar supports the animal's head. The head offers an open mouth with tongue protruding, a pierced nose, inset circular eyes and fine, incised patterning. From the back of the head, ears extend in backswept position framing two carved, elegantly curving horns…
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Afikpo mask representing a geometric, stylised- head with mouth open; a single protruding horn to forehead and a blade-shaped crest to top with triangular and rectangular decoration inset with kaolin pigment. Igbo, Nigeria. Height 40 cm. Width 17.5 cm.
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The Last great mask - Sigi plank-like mask with made once every 60 years on the occasion of the 'Sigui' as a replacement for the previous, these great masks and represent the first ancestor who died in the form of a serpent (Lebe) the Dogon who follow the rituals of the society of masks possess a shelter near to their village where the great masks old & new are stored the masks are believed to date back to the 14th century after a discovery by French anthropologist Marcel Griaule who counted nine great…
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Fine Baule figure, a female figure standing on a round base with slightly bent legs, hands resting upon the abdomen; the braided coiffure is finely worked; the torso, back, neck and face are decorated with scarification marks in high relief. Rich, dark patina. Height 39 cm. Width 7.6 cm.
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Luba Divination tool katatora, a divination tool; hollowed- squared base below a flared neck with an ovoid-shaped head, smoothed raised facial features and extending coiffure to back. Wood. Dark-brown patina. Height 13 cm. Width 7 cm. Depth 3 cm.
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Kusu figure carved wooden male figure with arms resting on abdomen. Heart-shaped facial plane, raised features and scarification to cheeks. Democratic Republic of Congo. Height 20.5 cm. Width 7 cm.
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Bamana Pulley, a hollowed, rectangular body below a long, thin neck supporting a flattened, dome-shaped head. The facial plane has small raised eyes, nose and mouth. Fine, varied patina. Mali. Height 16.5 cm. Width 6.5 cm. Depth 3.7 cm.
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Baule Pulley, a fine pulley with a preening bird that has arched back neck to top; decorated throughout with cross-hatch and geometric patterns. Rich, dark-brown patina. Height 12 cm. Width 4.5 cm.
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Pende cup, a rare form with an elongated design, a janus- head cup to top, resting on a seated male figure. Rich, brown patina. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Height 46 cm.
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Kuba Divination figure, a finely executed carving of the African caiman or dwarf crocodile. Four small legs support the caiman's long rectangular body which extends into a tapering tail. Raised eyes and mouth baring teeth; classic kuba designs incised into the surface of the animal's body. Rich, brown patina. Length 41 cm
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Songye figure, of classic form; angular facial plane with protruding rectangular mouth and ovoid eyes leading to a flared base. Good patina. Height 20.5 cm. Width 5.8 cm.
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Ashanti seated figure, a majestic female figure with an elaborate coiffure of perfectly formed rows of coiled hair, perches, straight-backed, upon a small stool with arms resting gently to knees. Almond-shaped eyes, small ears and cheeky grin. Limbs are rounded and neck is long with multiple neck-rings. Encrusted, dark patina. Ghana. Height 46 cm. Width 15 cm.
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Mud fish, 1st to 2nd-century AD terracotta fish. Egyptian or Roman; made from Nile mud. Similar example can be found in the British Museum. Length 6 cm. Width 14.5 cm
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East African mortar Hollowed bowl with protruding cylindrical handle. Blackened decoration. Length 33 cm. Width 18 cm
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Collection of tribal art reference books and catalogues (24) 24 books including various tribal Art catalogues and reference books. Length 29.6 cm. Width 21.2 cm (max. Size)
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Yoruba Wand in special festivals and processions, followers of Shango, the Yoruba god of thunder, carry dance wands. Shango is thought to control the great powers of nature as one of the orisha, or gods. Wood with natural black, white and red pigments. Nigeria. Length 35 cm. Width 10 cm.
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Pair of African Pygmy Quivers with Arrows wooden cylindrical containers bound with leather. Both containing arrows. Feather, bamboo and iron points container 1: length 69 cm. Width 8 cm. Depth 8 cm; Arrows 1: length 66 cm. Width 1 cm. Container 2: length 70.5 cm. Width 6 cm. Depth 6 cm; Arrows 2: length 69 cm. Width 1 cm
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Superb African club spherical head with hollowed face and raised ridge to centre incorporating a finely carved elongated nose and small mouth. Flanked either side by inset metal eyes; the flared shaft also inlaid with metal. Overall dark, glossy patina. Height 74 cm. Diameter 11 cm (head)
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Fine tokotoko c1870, by Jacob William Heberley (1849-1906) of Te Ati AWA Wellington descent carved with highly stylised, tattooed male and female figures standing in full relief and surmounting a manaia head with bulbous tongue and numerous teeth above incised kowhaiwhai design. The upper male figure with naturalistic tattooed head and shell-inlaid eyes extends into a curved handle decorated with conforming kowhaiwhai and terminating in a stylised manaia with paua-shell eyes. The surface decoration of this…
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Heavily sawn giant pounamu slab, a superb example of the scale of labour undertaken by the early pre-European Maori master craftsmen. This example is uncompleted and represents phase three in the manufacture of a toki pou tangata. The top face is flat and smoothly polished., a medium-light pounamu (nephrite). Length 41 cm. Width 15 cm. Depth 5.5 cm
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Rare hei pounamu archaic breast pendant in disc form with outer edge notched; hourglass-shaped suspension hole; evidence of traditional manufacturing techniques. Believed to have been found on the East coast of the South Island during the 1950s. Height 10.5 cm. Width 8.1 cm. Depth .9 cm.
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Early mere pounamu - greenstone hand club, a highly valued and important cultural symbol of mana (authority and prestige) as well as an effective weapon during the pre-musket era. Mere of this form are very rare and hard to come by. Stone-tooled with no ridges in the butt. Typical of 17th/18th-century pre-European mere. Mere with decorated ridges are generally from 1700 onwards. Attractive dark-green colour with waves of lighter green. Length 28.2 cm. Width 7.8 cm
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Mere pounamu, a well-proportioned and finely carved weapon with a good weight and elegant form; a quality piece of pounamu. The blade of deep-green nephrite leads to a butt end with five carved grooves and a pierced hole. Length 33.6 cm. Width 9.7 cm
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Superb mere pounamu Prestigious example in orthodox form. Crafted from speckled kawakawa nephrite. The blade offers rich variated colouration, which gracefully reduces to grip section. Terminating into seven softly defined ridges, and traditional hole for suspension. Length 30 cm
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Rare Whakapakoko Atua - God stick wooden staff; light-brown weathered patina; mythological figure carved to top believed to represent a god, possibly of agriculture or war. Deeply carved, round eyes with missing paua shell and plain shaft with pierced hole for peg attachment. These sticks were often located near gardens and were also used as protective talismans. Length 26.5 cm. Width 5 cm
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Fine waka huia base- finely carved cocoon-shaped vessel guarded by two tiki figures each offering detailed facial carving and notched paua eyes. Composition of base anchored by a beautiful combination of rauponga which spiral out in an orthodox rarua form; centred ribbing extends from either side of the rarua to connect each tiki, each quadrant of the base decorated with highly refined triple haehae and pakati combinations displayed in diagonal form with each row of pakati carved in opposing directions.…
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Fine early waka huia, of orthodox ovoid form, the lid recessing accurately into the base. Carved with a flat-bladed tool; kinked longitudinal rauponga lends this waka huia a distinctive appearance which suggests it is of East Coast manufacture. Four minimal spiral motifs provide an overall sense of balance. On each shoulder of the box are intertwined triple haehae. Guarded by two projecting wheku heads, they are finely carved and offer significant yet subtle differences. The base offers a further eight…
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Taiaha short taiaha with well-carved blade. Raised features to head, tongue well carved with triple h'h' and dog-tooth notching. Length 146 cm. Width 6 cm
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Taiaha Undecorated head with raised half-moon-shaped eyes; strongly carved nose and upper lip. Large, flared striking blade with a mid-brown patina. Length 185 cm. Width 9 cm
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Taiaha finely executed head with circular paua inlaid eyes, strongly carved nose and upper lip. Tongue beautifully executed and terminating in a sharp tip. Delicate blade, which is finely balanced. Rich, dark-brown patina. Length 164 cm. Width 5 cm
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Early taiaha, a well-carved head with ovoid raised eyes. Strongly carved nose and upper lip; tongue is beautifully executed and terminates in a sharp tip. Short strike blade is finely balanced and completed with broad, round-form tip. Soft, red-brown patina. Length 104 cm. Width 4.3 cm
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Taiaha well-carved head with circular inset eyes, strongly carved nose and upper lip. Tongue beautifully executed and terminating in a sharp tip. Blade is finely balanced. Rich, dark-brown patina. Battle damage to top of tongue and lower blade. Length 181 cm. Width 8 cm
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Taiaha well-carved head with circular paua inlaid eyes, strongly carved nose and upper lip. Tongue beautifully executed with soft carving. Blade is finely balanced. Rich, dark-brown patina. Length 165 cm. Width 5.5 cm
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Taiaha Strongly carved head with circular inset eyes, strongly carved nose and upper lip. Tongue beautifully executed and terminating in a sharp tip. Blade is heavy and finely balanced. Rich, dark-brown patina. Length 160 cm. Width 6 cm
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Tewhatewha Orthodox form with plate-shaped head leading to a flattened cylindrical shaft. Rich, dark-brown patina. Length 1250, width 16 cm
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Chiefly taiaha This piece offers significant size and presence. The arero (tongue) is elaborately decorated with fine and highly skilled triple h'h' and pakati carving. Abstracted teeth forms accentuate the mouth. Large serrated paua-shell eyes in oval form are embedded, with the high brow offering further intricate carving which differs slightly on either side. Mid-section of staff has a naturally occurring hole. This prestigious taiaha was gifted to John Daniels by a chief from the Gisborne area in the…
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Patu Onewa fine stone club in traditional form. Smooth finish and hourglass-shaped suspension hole. Base of handle carved with five ridged linear lines in ovoid form. Length 29.7 cm. Width 8.4 cm
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Patiti - axe Maori land wars (1845-1872), steel trade axe. Blade stamped: 'W. Gilpin' and 'C. Davies'., a base of wooden handle terminates with 12 carved ridges. Pierced square hole. Rich, mid-brown patina. Length 32 cm. Width 15.7 cm
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Whalebone patu early club carved from whalebone in traditional form with soft, early patina. Pierced hole for attachment. Length 35 cm. Width 8.7 cm
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Superb wahaika, of classic form with a rounded blade; a masterfully carved manaia form sitting to the incurve, and another fine head carved to the butt of the weapon. Hole to base of handle for attachment. Soft, early patina. Length 34 cm. Width 11.1 cm
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Fine Waihaka, a finely carved wooden club with all-over, deep-relief linear h'h' carving to blade with dog-tooth notching. Strong manaia head to incurve with two inset paua eyes and pierced hole on handle for attachment. Light-brown patina. Length 41 cm. Width 14 cm
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Patu Onewa extremely large example with round cross section and flattened blade. This unfinished patu shows one of the steps of the manufacturing process. Overall pecked surface. Greywacke. Length 39.2 cm. Width 12 cm
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Whalebone taiaha fragment fully carved tongue and mouth decorated with H'h' and dog tooth notching. Raised nose and two incised eyes. Pierced hole for suspension. Weathered dry patina. Length 16 cm. Width 4.8 cm
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Patu handle upper portion of a finely crafted patu onewa. Three ridges to the reke (butt). Hourglass-shaped suspension hole. Length 17 cm. Width 7.2 cm.
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Hoe - rare Maori paddle unique paddle with two leaf-shaped blades with central, tapering medial ridge leading to a strong cylindrical shaft. Rich, honey-brown patina. Collected in the Whanganui region, circa 1850. Length 2,300-, width 14 cm
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Early bone Barb, a large, carved barbed point made from kur? dog bone; fine, notched detailing on out-curve of barb. Height 5 cm. Width 4 cm.
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Iron trade bird spear point, a rare object in the form of an early bird-hunting spear point with seven barbs. These points would have been traded to Maori in the 18th/19th century. Length 14.5 cm. Width 1 cm
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Maori Tattooing instrument, a very rare and fine instrument with a cylindrical wooden shaft adorned with fine spiral design carved into the end leading to a flattened rectangular top also finely carved with double haehae lines and dog-tooth notching. The end has attached bone tool with tapering prongs. Minor loss. Length 27.7 cm. Width 1.4 cm.
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Patu muka stone flax pounder of classic form. Ovoid cross-section and body tapering to a flared, rounded butt. Length 25 cm. Width 7.8 cm.
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Aurei - cloak pin Orthodox form, fashioned from marine ivory with suspension hole worn away. Early soft patina. Length 8.3 cm. Width 1.3 cm
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Aurei - cloak pin, of curved form; fashioned from marine ivory. Warm, early patina. Height 13.4 cm. Width 1 cm. Depth 1 cm.
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Aurei - cloak pin, of curved form; fashioned from marine ivory with decorative carving at the suspension hole. Rich, worn patina overall. Length 12.5 cm. Width 1.2 cm. Depth 1.2 cm.
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Aurei - cloak pin, of curved traditional form. Loss to suspension-hole end. Dry, early patina. Length 12 cm. Width 1 cm
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Aurei - cloak pin, of curved form; fashioned from marine ivory. Warm, early patina. Height 11 cm. Width 1.1 cm. Depth 1.1 cm.
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Aurei - cloak pin, of curved form, fashioned from marine ivory with a warm, early patina. Length 13.4 cm. Width 1.2 cm
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Aurei - cloak pin, of orthodox form, fashioned from marine ivory, suspension hole worn away. Early, soft patina. Length 10 cm. Width .6 cm
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Aurei - cloak pin, of stout form with pierced suspension hole. Well-used patina. Length 9.5 cm. Width 2.5 cm
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Aurei - cloak pin, of curved form; fashioned from marine ivory. Warm, early patina. Length 14 cm. Width 1 cm.
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Fine kete Robustly constructed from cotton-based twine. Both sides are covered with various coloured feathers that are attached on every second aho (weft). Length 20 cm. Width 22 cm
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Fine kiwi kete superb kiwi-feather kete. Double-pair twining with kiwi feathers attached on every second aho (weft). The muka kaupapa is in good condition. Feathers in good condition. Length 20 cm. Width 20 cm
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Fine kiwi kete finely made kiwi feather kete. Double pair twining with kiwi feathers attached on every second aho (weft). The muka kaupapa is in good condition. Some loss of feathers evident. Length 13 cm. Width 14 cm
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Fine kiwi kete finely made kiwi-feather kete. Double-pair twining with kiwi feathers attached on every second aho (weft). The muka kaupapa is in good condition. Some loss of feathers evident. Length 14 cm. Width 15 cm
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Superb kahu kiwi cloak, a rare and beautiful Maori kahu kiwi feather cloak from the 19th century. The cloak is adorned with mature brown kiwi feathers, in orthodox style. The side borders are embellished with kaka and tui feathers. The kiwi feathers are tightly compacted to form plump, luminous appearance. In exceptional condition with only a small amount of loss to the top left corner, which is consistent with usage. From the Wanganui region. Oral family history accounts that the vendor's father received…
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Early Kaitaka Paepae Roa cloak Kaitaka is the name given to the prestigious cloaks that were recorded and collected by early European explorers. They were woven using unbeaten New Zealand flax; thus, the flax was allowed to retain its shining quality. The muka selected from the harakeke plants was prepared with the greatest of care and attention to ritual. The complexity and elegance of the taniko borders are unsurpassed by any other Maori cloak forms. Featuring vertical aho, this rare form of chiefly…
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Kahu Huruhuru - Prestigious feather cloak Introduced in the second half of the 19th century, the kahu huruhuru celebrated the prestigious nature of the Polynesian cloak with the use of high-status bird species such as the kereru, kakariki, kaka and tui. Notably, kahu huruhuru are worked in an upside-down manner with the geometric workings starting from the bottom; this suggests they are a development from the orthodox korowai cloak with even earlier roots reaching back into the pre-contact rain cloaks…
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Korowai cloak. This korowai has double-pair twining with two areas of tailored shaping; crafted from dressed flax fibre (muka) and highlighted with orthodox double thrums of dyed black wool. Decorative elements are enhanced with contrasting woollen colour panelling indicating a transitional style. The cloak was presented to Samuel Stanley Cox by local Maori as a token of their affection and appreciation. It was subsequently passed to Vincent Cox in 1933 and passed to his mother in 1954. Length 124 cm.…
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Korowai cloak double-pair twining with two areas of tailored shaping. Crafted from dressed muka and highlighted with orthodox double thrums of dyed black wool. Edges decorated with kiwi feathers. Length 103 cm. Width 112 cm.
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Feather cloak, a 19th-century transitional-period feather cape with decorative woollen looping and braiding to the edge. Various types of feathers attached- . Length 80 cm. Width 66 cm
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Patu aruhe - pounder the patu aruhe (bracken-fern-root pounder) is associated with food preparation; signs of considerable age. Early 19th century or earlier. May have been swamp preserved. Length 29.5 cm. Width 6.5 cm.
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Patu aruhe - pounder classic bulbous form with blackened, dark-brown patina. Length 27 cm. Width 8 cm
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Group of Needles (5) five fine needles made from bone. Collection numbers inscribed in black ink: '47314, '47319' Armytage collection; '435', '437', '439' Webster collection. Length 9 cm largest size
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Group of early bone artefacts (12) group of early bone artefacts including various points and needles. Length 5.3 cm. Width .6 cm; length 6.3 cm. Width .5 cm; length 4.1 cm. Width .5 cm; length 2.8 cm. Width .5 cm; length 4.5 cm. Width .4 cm; length 4 cm. Width .8 cm; length 4.2 cm. Width .8 cm; length 3.1 cm. Width .6 cm; length 2.9 cm. Width .6 cm; length 1.8 cm. Width .4 cm; length 1.2 cm. Width .4 cm; length 7 cm. Width 2.8 cm;
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Huia feather rare tail feather from extinct huia. Single huia feathers were highly valuable and exchanged for other valuable goods or given as tokens of friendship and respect. Length 7.6 cm. Width 1.1 cm
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Huia feather rare tail feather from extinct huia. Single huia feathers were highly valuable and exchanged for other valuable goods or given as tokens of friendship and respect. Length 20.1 cm. Width 5 cm
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Rare, pre-Treaty of Waitangi, Land 'Transfer', 1839 in 1839, William Barnard Rhodes (1807-1878), entered into partnership with the Sydney firm Cooper and Holt. He left for New Zealand on the Eleanor in October 1839 to acquire vast amounts of land from the Maori. The Treaty of Waitangi was being drafted at the same time. Taking supplies of guns and tobacco, he travelled to New Zealand attempting to secure deeds that eventually purported to give title to nearly two million acres in both islands. The document…
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Matau - fish hook, a rare, early wooden example with full-bodied shank made from a trained branch or root. Small barbed bone point lashed to end. Lashed snood and trace. Wood, bone and muka. 18th/19th century. Inscribed in black ink: 'Web Col 1536'. Length 16.8 cm. Width 6.5 cm.
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Matau - fish hook wooden, full-bodied shank in 'U' shape made by training a branch or root. Short, barbed bone point lashed to end. Lashed snood and trace. Inscribed in white ink: 'Webster Coll 385'. Length 12 cm. Width 6.6 cm
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Large matau - fish hook, a fish-hook of large proportions; wooden shank fashioned from a native hardwood sapling. Offering a dual barb. Collection number inscribed in black and white ink and paint: 'Web Coll 594'. 18th century. Length 20 cm. Width 14 cm.
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Large matau - fish hook, a composite fish-hook of gigantic proportions fashioned from a native hardwood sapling; robust length of cord (aho) attached to the top. Small barb fashioned from a mammal's tooth; has two serrated points to each side; attached to shank with muka (flax fibre) cord. Collection number inscribed in white paint: 'Webster Coll 521'. 18th century. Length 17 cm. Width 10 cm. Hook only
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Matau - fish hook, a fine, early matau made from a trained branch or root. Dark wooden shank that extends to form the point limb; missing point; carved notch for binding evident. Carved spirals on the shank. Lashed snood, no line. Inscribed in black ink: 'Web.Col 1599'. Length 28.7 cm. Width 9.8 cm.
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Superb matau - fish hook, a large, early composite fish-hook with curved wooden shank fashioned from a native hardwood sapling; shaft superbly carved with a fine head., a length of cord (aho) is attached to the top. The small barb is shell with serrated point to one side; attached to shank with muka (flax fibre) cord. Collection number inscribed in white paint: 'Web Col 522'. 18th century. This hook May have been collected during English explorer Captain James Cook's voyages into the Pacific. Members of…
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Superb matau - fish hook, a rare, masterfully carved one-piece, non-barbed bait hook made from whalebone; enhanced with raised, carved decoration on the out-curve and at the apex of the shank; fine but robust muka cord attached to top. Signs of significant use. Collection number inscribed in black ink: 'Web Col 486'. Length 9.2 cm width 6.8 cm.
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