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Oceanic and African Arts — Webb's

Auction House:Webb'sNumber of lots recorded:455
Sale Title:Oceanic and African ArtsLots with images:405
Auction Location:AucklandPrices available:310
Date:17-Jun-2010
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Rare and superb Fijian war club - Culacula, superbly balanced and made from a single piece of age soaked Vesi (iron wood) the culacula form is highly complex offering subtle concave and convex surfaces throughout the blade, the decorative elements are highly achieved with geometric carving throughout the grip and lower and upper mid section of the work, the head of the club is of a sophisticated design with the centre line tapering off to a thin mid section that then flares as it terminates towards the tip…
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Rare inlaid Fijian Rootstock club, highly achieved vunikau bulibuli or dromu vonotabua with a classic rootstock head with fourteen prestigious ivory inlays leading to a sennit bound shaft with base of handle also offering large star formed ivory inlay. Certainly the work of a master artist. Rich deep mid-brown patina. Mid 19th century. Provenance: private New Zealand collection. Length 108 cm. Width 9 cm.
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Fijian club - Totokia, large example of pineapple form with head binding and some age damage. Rich patina of age. Length 76 cm. Width 16 cm.
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Fijian club, Kiakavo, of well balanced proportion. Orthodox rough incurve at top. Superb light patina. Old Museum label attached.Provenance: Julius Carlebach gallery, New York, 1955. Zanesville Museum of Art, USA, length 90 cm.
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A fine Fijian club - Gata, classic form, well balanced and finely carved detailing throughout handle and continuing into delicate sun / life motif notching throughout the head reflecting chiefly status. Rich superb patina of age. Length 100 cm. Width 15 cm.
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Prestigious Fijian Rootstock club, vunikau, of gigantic chiefly proportions made of traditional Vesi wood. Finely incised handle. Excellent patina reflects good age. 19th century. Length 111 cm.
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Rare Vanuatu club, carved from a single piece of hardwood, the base of the handle is circular which then extends into highly refined 'Hockey stick' form. Dark patina, 19th century. Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. Length 104 cm.
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A Supurb New Caledonia bird head club, displaying a hooded medial ridge on the face, bulbous domed eyes soft slightly raised handle end, early rich mid-brown patina. Provenance: formerly in the Oldman collection, Otzis collection and Christensen Fund collection cc60032 as dispersed by Sotheby's 1996. Length 82.5 cm. Width 20 cm.
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A Fine Fijian Totokia Club - Pineapple Form, of chiefly proportions and well balanced. Beautiful dark rich patina. Provenance: Private Collection New Zealand. Length 82 cm Width 15 cm.
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Mangaian Toki Ceremonial Adze, square section with heavily abstracted human forms in deep relief. Extremely fine lashings accentuated prestigious nature of the adze. Traditionally the personal belonging of a chief and used to make the first few chops while invoking Tane Mata Ariki, the god of wood workers. Length 97 cm Width 23 cm.
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A New Britain Club, classic mace form with stone head, superb condition with stone, gum and shell inlay. Rich brown patina, Length 126 cm Width 7.6 cm.
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Fine Solomon Island war club, long slender leaf blade in orthodox form. Smoked brown patina. Florida Island style. Length 125 cm.
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Early Vanuatu club, superb early example with binding to handle. Rich old reddish brown patina. Pentecost Island. Early 20th century. Length 110 cm .
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Fine Solomon Island war club, long slender leaf blade in orthodox form. Smoked brown patina. Florida Island style. Length 130 cm.
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Rare New Britain ceremonial axe, the head in the form of a trade axe with carved target motif to blade leading into a long shaft ending with an unusual termination to handle which has a star burst motif. Coloured with black and red pigment. Light brown smoked patina. Wood, gum. Treasury Island, New Britain. Length 114 cm.
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Fine Fijian Gata Club, of small well balanced proportion. Shell or stone tool carving to handle and upper neck. Damage to top flair. Length 72 cm.
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Fijian Ula club, classic throwing type club of fine form. Rich Patina, length 37 cm.
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A Vanuatu club, an early Pentecost Island club. Provenance: Zanesville Museum of Art (USA). Length 97 cm
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Solomon Islands Malaita/ Sulka club, of orthodox form. Rich dark patina. Malaita Island. Provenenace: Previously in a private English collection. Length 97 cm width 7 cm.
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Santa Cruz Island wooden dance Wand, a superb dance club with fine painted decoration light honey coloured patina, used during dance ceremonies called Napa. Length 82 cm.
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Fijian Tapa Beater, orthodox form with variable ribbing. Length 37.3 cm.
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Massim Club and Lime Spatula, hardwood club and a fine spatula. Solomon Islands. Length 7 cm, Length 23 cm.
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Solomon Island club, Malaita, with a diamond shaped head and raised mid-rib in the form of a cross moving down to a hooked crescent shaped butt. Blackened fibre binding on grip. Mid brown patina. A very good example, length 67.5 cm width 16.8 cm.
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Samoan short club, with incised Missionary script lettering 'Mitteli' on handle and with a suspension hole. Length 35 cm. Width 6.5 cm.
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Fijian club, ula, type of throwing or missile club with dark rich patina. Length 42 cm.
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Rennell Island paddle club, with subtly raised cross formed blade with a dark rich patina. Length 61 cm Width 17 cm.
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Solomon Island Club Shield, roromaraugi curved head incised with triangular detailing leading to long round handle. Old weathered patina. San Cristobel Island, Solomon Islands. Provenance: Zanesville Museum of Art, USA, Length 101 cm Width 32.5 cm.
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Stone headed New Britain club, large orthodox mace form with stone head missing its gum inlay and shell a nice rich brown patina. Length 122 cm.
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Papua New Guinea Club, palm wood club with damaged serrated edge leading to flat carved handle. Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. Length 77.5 cm Width 7.8 cm.
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Two Papa New Guinea Ceremonial Clubs with Blades, with a thin and finely worked stone blade, and intricately plaited rattan casing. These Mount Hagen axes have from first outside contact seemed to serve primarily as prestige objects of great value. They were used not only in regular trade and exchange situations, but also as marriage gifts or a part of the bride price. They were also worn or carried in certain ceremonial situations. Small chip damage to one of the blades. Eastern Highlands Papua New Guinea…
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Two Papa New Guinea Ceremonial Clubs with Blades, with a thin and finely worked stone blade and intricately plaited rattan casing. Eastern Highlands. max Length 80 cm H55 cm.
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Two Solomon Island spears, barb blackened hardwood tips with zigzag motif bound on with woven sennit. Long wood shafts with old collection label. Length 220 cm. Length 268.8 cm.
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Collection of Arrows and Bow, sixteen arrows made up of wood, bamboo, cane, fibre, pigment and a palm wood bow. Length 91 cm -175 cm.
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Solomon Islands hunting bow, traditional form with correct bow line. Fine patina. Old collection no 16497.1. Eady collection Ex. Auckland Museum. Length 192 cm.
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A fine Fijian club Kiakavo, of small well balanced proportion. Orthodox rough incurve at top. Rich red patina. Small flare at butt with terminating knob. Provenance: Private Collection New York. Length 64.5 cm.
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Solomon Islands club, unusual form with damage to one wing, San Cristobel Island, Solomon Islands. 96 cm.
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A fine Solomon Islands bowl, a superbly formed bowl in classical ovoid form, terminating in finely detailed ends with inverted stylised birds. Delicate shell inlay work to the outer surface. C. 1850. Choiseul or new Georgia Islands Solomon Islands. Provenance: Ex. David Rosenthal, San Francisco. Length 43.8 cm. Width 8.7 cm D8 cm.
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Important Fijian headrest, elaborate scrimshawed design to the surface of bamboo in the form of ancestral fish, human figures, a colonial horse and rider. Missionary script adorns large proportions of the surface. Supported with elegant vee shaped form which is then latched with plaited fibre binding in a fine complex braided manner. Provenance: Ex. Taylor Dale. Height 17 cm. Width 67 cm.
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A very fine New Caledonia n cane, extremely fine geometric engravings extended through body of bamboo cane. Figurative / ancestral depictions of fish are offered at one end of the piece. As a status signifier, the Kanak people attributed magical powers to these chiefly orators' sticks that were used by high ranking Kanak in a range of formal and informal social and spiritual ceremonies. Such a stick would have commonly contained magic herbs to enhance spiritual ceremonies and ensured the owner safe passage…
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Large Fine Tapa, a large tapa cloth with a fish net design at top moving into the more classic geometric shapes. Black, brown and red pigments contrasted against the cream masi cloth. width 400 cm H360 cm.
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Massim stool, with abstracted human form supporting both base and seat depicting a model of strength and serenity. Top of stool finely carved with geometric motifs. Height 51 cm. Width 32 cm.
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A superb Massim lime spatula, a large ebony lime spatula with a finely mirrored figural elements carved at top. Length 63 cm.
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Tumbuan Tagwa Dance Costume, of a large cone-shaped wicker framework highly adorned. Dance costume which represents a spirit from the era of creation. The dancers make threatening gestures and brandish spears to frighten away uninitiated boys from initiation ceremonies. Ex. Christiansen Collection Ex. Sotheby's Australia. Height 150 cm Width 85 cm.
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An Early Ambrym Fern Mask, (rom) elongated vertical diamond shape with green and red pigment and plant fibre band, well used weathered patina. Such masks are used during festivities within the secret man's Ole society and are traditionally destroyed after use. Ambrym Island, Vanuatu. Length 77 cm Width 13 cm.
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A fine wooden Fijian headrest, of large rare form created from a single piece of hardwood. A curved top supported by the ovoid pillars and elegant diagonal cross structures. Rich brown patina. Sennit, wood. Length 56 cm D10 cm.
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An early and rare Malekula mask, a superb and early mask with double face decorated with multicoloured chevron and dot motifs used for the Nalawan grade ceremonies. Cane, bark, bamboo, boars tusks fibre and pigment. Southern Malekula Vanuatu. Height 36 cm. Width 23 cm.
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An early and rare Malekula mask, a superb mask with double face decorated with multicoloured chevron and dot motifs used for the Nalawan grade Ceremonies. Cane, bark, bamboo, boars tusks fibre and pigment. Southern Malekula, Vanuatu. Height 130 cm. Width 67 cm.
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An extremely rare Massim Soul boat, carved from single piece of dark hardwood offering remarkable patina in extremely fine condition. Used as a ceremonial vessel the orthodox scroll work and delicate proportions represent the work of a high ranking master carver. 18th century. Length 67 cm. Width length 2 cm.
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Papua New Guinea Adornment, an unusually large example of a ceremonial headband made up in orthodox form with juvenile nassa snail shells. Pierced nassa snail shells are woven into geometric flows. Six triangular spaces remain bare but painted with trade paint. Provenance: Sotheby's, New York. Length 50 cm Width 15.6 cm.
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Papua New Guinea Adornment, ceremonial headband made up in orthodox form with juvenile nassa snail shells. Pierced nassa snail shells are woven into geometric flows. Provenance: Sotheby's, New York. Length 38 cm D8 cm.
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Papua New Guinea Adornment, ceremonial headband made up in orthodox form with juvenile nassa snail shells. Pierced nassa snail shells are woven into geometric flows. Provenance: Sotheby's, New York. Length 52 cm D12 cm.
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Papua New Guinea Adornment, a Blyth's hornbill used as an adornment to suspension hole's used for attaching fibre plaited ties. Rich cream patina. Length 20.6 cm Width 5 cm.
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Solomon Island Belt, a circle shaped belt of fibre and bark, old label attached. width 32.5 cm.
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Solomon Island comb, flat comb made of strips of coconut wood lashed together with dyed grass, plaited in an elaborate pattern. Length 19.4 cm.
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Solomon Island comb, a superb flat comb made with strips of coconut wood lashed together middle area covered in a black gum with inlaid shell and leading to a delicate crescent shaped finials at top. Length 25 cm.
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A rare Kiribati shell and bead belt, finely drilled belt adornment (katau), Nonouti, Kiribati, length 160 cm.
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A rare Kiribati shell belt, finely drilled belt adornment (katau), Nonouti, Kiribati, length 100 cm.
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Solomon Island arm bracelets, a group of four early arm adornments (three shell, one fibre, gum and pigment). Max length 28 cm.
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Two Breast Ornaments, mother of pearl, plant fibre, red pigment and cowrie shell. Worn by both men and women, used as currency. Length 22 cm.
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Tongan Cowrie shell skirt, finely constructed skirt of tan and white shell, fibre. Length 112 cm D45 cm.
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A Santa Cruz Gourd, neck secured with finely woven fibre. Length 18 cm Width 12 cm.
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Two Admiralty Island Daggers, flaked black obsidian blades attached to fibre and gum handles incised with triangulated forms. Red and Orange pigment. Length 22 cm Length 26 cm.
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A fine Tongan comb, helu, used as a comb and also hair decoration. Coconut leaflet midribs, coir. 19th century. Height 27.8 cm. Width 5.8 cm.
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New Hanover stone discs and adzes, a pair of very early stone discs possibly a form of currency found in a plantation in new Hanover Island together with assorted stone adze (7).
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Two Papua New Guinea Bone Daggers, a pair of well shaped cassowary bird bone daggers, some carving to surface with rich variegated blackened cream coloured patina. Length 34 cm Length 31 cm.
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A Superb Papua New Guinea Bone Dagger, carved bone dagger with deep circular carving and intertwined with heavily abstracted faces. Inlaid cowrie shell eyes to top and attached brown and white paradise bird feather bundle. Kwoma people Washkuk Hills East Sepik. Length 37 cm.
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Vanuatu Breadfruit Knife, plain wooden form with complex silhouette hand with dark dry patina. Used for cutting breadfruit. Torres Island Vanuatu. 19th century. Length 53 cm Width 21 cm.
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A Wooden Huon Gulf Ladle, top and mid section carved with wide tapering scoop. Black patina with some traces of lime infill. Length 73 cm Width 8 cm.
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Royal Tongan Tapa, a superb Tongan Tapa made for Queen Elizabeth's Royal Tour, 1953. Width 420 cm H196 cm.
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A Santa Cruz Island gourd, neck secured with finely woven fibre. Width 12 cm.
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Solomon Islands Bowl, a superbly formed bowl in classical ovoid form, terminating in finely detailed ends with inverted stylised birds. Shell button inlay work to the top ends. 19th century. Choiseul or New Georgia Islands, Solomon Islands. Length 51.5 cm Width 21 cm D14 cm.
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A rare group of Hawaiian Awls (7) carved bird bone, found in the ancient Hawaiian 'Kapo Cave' in Puna. Which is linked to the legend of Kopokohelele (Kapo of the flying vagina) the goddess Kapo, who sent her flying vagina to lure the demi-god Kamapua'a away to save her family and her sister Pele. Max length 8 cm.
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Captain Tilly's Hat Box, a tin hat box with a large group of fibre and adornment. Including a pearl shell spoon and pendant, a large cloth and two banana leaf finely woven bags with geometric designs. Rope, bindings, arm band, weaving peg, skirt. Santa Cruz, Solomon Islands.
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Ceremonial Bowl, with 'Mary Itunga' carved on side. Fine Patina. Santa Cruz, Solomon Islands. Length 53 cm Width 21 cm.
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Solomon Island Fishing God, a statue of a fishing god with an anthropomorphic bird-man figure holding a headless fish crouching on a sea turtle entwined by a snake; shell inlaid eyes rich honey coloured patina. Roviana Island, Solomon Islands. Height 28 cm.
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Fijian Tapa Cloth, (Masi) A fine and early example with various geometric, Fiji. Height 37 cm Width 254 cm
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Fijian Tapa cloth, (Masi) A fine and early example with various geometric, Fiji. Height 166 cm width 194 cm.
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Fijian Tapa cloth, (Masi) A fine and early example with various geometric, Fiji. Height 102 cm width 188 cm.
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Fijian Tapa Cloth, (Masi) A fine and early example with various geometric, Fiji. Height 193 cm Width 214 cm.
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Hawaiian Food Bowl Sling, of natural fibre, Hawaiian. 19th century.
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Two Spear Heads, max W11.3 cm.
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Important Abelam Ancestral Figure, a large and impressive Abelam male spirit figure from a traditional men's house, decorated overall with ochre and mineral pigments. Abelam People Prince Alexander Mountains Papua New Guinea Ex. Julius Carlsbach New York ex. Zanesville Museum Collection. Height 99.5 cm Width 19.5 cm.
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Fine betel nut mortar, of unusual form, the top portion carved open as a mortar with typical scrollwork carved in high relief; in the centre, a raised circular band with shell insets and raised birds in high relief, their beaks pecking at a raised fish motif beneath; each bird forming the 'Nose' of the face made up of two disks for eyes, and the remaining two birds as the back of the stylised head and 'Ears'. Variegated lustrous surface. Papua New Guinea, Milne Bay Province. Provenance: mark Lissauer.…
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Village Challenge post, beautiful carved post with typical Sepik mythology, Atmel people. Such posts were planted on the outer boundaries of villages, facing opposing villages. Shows traces of paint. Very finely carved from a single inverted tree and buttress roots. A very rare piece, middle Sepik. 1950s or earlier. Height 200 cm. Width 68 cm.
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Mwai Mask, a superb mask of wood covered with a coating of claystone inlaid with nassa cowry shells. Red white and black pigments accentuate board open face and eyes inset with conus shell. A strong nose line with flared nostrils are extended prestigious boar tusks. Multi colored vegetable fibres frame the jaw line. Upper lip extends towards chin which terminates with finely carved head and contorted ancestral figure. Provenance: Christensen Fund Collection, as dispersed by Sotheby's 1996. Height 97 cm…
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Mwai Mask, with classic elongated face decorated with human hair boar tusks and finely laid mosaic of cowry, conus and nassa shells in clay. Nose extends gracefully towards chin which terminates with ancestral bird totem. Face has part polychrome surfaces. Provenance: Christensen Fund Collection, as dispersed by Sotheby's 1996. Height 88 cm Width 16 cm.
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Solomon Islands Walking Stick, with mother of pearl inlay. Length 102 cm.
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Sorcerers Soul stone, papua New Guinea, Highlands. D9.2 cm.
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Papua New Guinea Adornment, cowrie Shell Necklace, Papua New Guinea, Highlands. Length 60 cm.
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Papua New Guinea Adornment, cassowary Feathers finely woven into head net, Highlands. Height 30 cm Width 50 cm.
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Victoria Ginn - Photograph, highlander with Soul Stone. 1977.
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Victoria Ginn - Photograph, five Colour Photographs
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Rare and Important Papua New Guinea Sepik Ancestral Hook, the circular base is framed by three hooks which join at the intersect at the bottom of the work. The tip of the hooks are double barb with a single geometric relief on each. The based of the figure is again circular. Muscular legs articulate into buttocks. Torso is also beautifully defined with chest and rear shoulder lines balanced. Arms come to rest on broad hips. The strong neck line is heavily decorated. The head is superbly carved with a…
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A Fine Massim Drum, of tapering hollowed form, a carved protruding ridge hollowed at the centre for the handle, with thinner pierced ridges on two sides for the attachment of ornaments, the whole decorated in bands of undulating and curvilinear motifs. Light brown patina. Papua New Guinea. Length 63 cm Width 12 cm.
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A Fine Massim Drum, of hollowed form, a carved protruding ridge hollowed at the centre for the handle, with thinner pierced ridges on two sides for the attachment of ornaments, the whole decorated in bands of undulating and curvilinear motifs. Fine dark brown patina. Papua New Guinea. Length 65.5 cm Width 16.5 cm.
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An important Haus Tamburan finial, finial from a large Haus Tamburan with large abstract eagle type bird form at top with carved designs on open wings. The legs rest on a male figure standing on two intertwined crocodiles seated upon a scalloped base with three carved heads. Heavy weathered patina with small traces of pigment remaining, village repair to one eagle wing. It is a virtuoso carving effort made to be viewed at a distance from below. Length 199 cm Width 67.5 cm.
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Figurative ceremonial buffalo horn spoon, originating from the Belu or Tetum culture of West Timor. Spoons of this type were created by specialized craftsman for use by tribal leaders in the 18th and 19th centuries and is exquisitely rendered in a tiered design featuring a bullock horn. Handle depicting multiple figurative elements surrounded with sun and animal motifs. Reserve side offers variation. Top of handle terminates with eight fashioned comb like fingers. Neck of spoon guarded by bird forms, the…
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Ifugao Ceremonial Spoon, delicately carved with standing figure with arms resting on thighs. Well defined face with elaborate head nut. Spoon form deep and elliptical. Provenance: Zanesville Museum of Art, USA. Rich red patina. Length 16.8 cm Width 5.1 cm.
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Fourteen Papa New Guinea Spears, a range of finely crafted hunting arrows. Bamboo Lengths hafted and gummed to a variety of fine tips. 19th century. Provenance: Zanesville Museum of Art, USA. Length 105 cm - Length 150 cm.
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Papua New Guinea Paddles, with traditional ribbed crease extending up body of blade then spreading into v form at the shoulder. Shaft is plain. Upper grip of paddle shaft offers abstract pig form. Provenance: Zanesville Museum of Art. Length 71 cm Width 11 cm.
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