Archives: Art For Sale

Art For Sale

Australian Aboriginal Woomera Spear Thrower West Australia 19th Century

Australian Aboriginal Woomera Spear Thrower West Australia 19th Century

This beautiful old woomera of good form and finely incised with overlapping crosses and spaced by vertical striations. The top has the original peg intact it is bound with kangaroo sinew and resin, the woomera allows the user to lengthen their arm and be able to greatly increase the distance the spear can be thrown with great accuracy.  The handle has resin at the very bottom which keeps one’s hand slipping when being used. The back of the woomera is finely chipped and carved with traditional tools.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art 

 

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If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer 

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us.

 

A Fine Old Karahut Ornament Abelam People Prince Alexander Mountains East Sepik Province Papua New Guinea

A Fine Old Karahut Ornament Abelam People Prince Alexander Mountains Area East Sepik Province Papua New Guinea

This fine old used Karahut Ornament is from the Abelam People, Karahut Ornaments are very important ceremonial objects used during traditional ceremonies and initiations. In the form of a small Ancestral Spirit Figure finely woven from bush fibre rope made from tree bark and then decorated with boars tusks and Nassa Shells & lastly ochre painted. These were sometimes held in the mouth during ceremonies and at other times worn on the back of the Abelam dancers.

For the Abelam, the importance lies in the bright polychrome paints applied to their surfaces as the paint is a magical substance that endows the figures with supernatural power and beauty.

The complex male initiation cycle of the Abelam people is restricted to men. The Ceremonial Houses are decorated with carvings of spirit figures and totemic animals, These artworks were attached outside the entrance to the large ceremonial houses and also the entrances to the interior passages and into the initiation chamber. Inside the initiation chamber, with its brilliantly coloured paintings and carvings representing the clan spirits (nggwalndu) and other supernatural beings is revealed. Carved Figures are repainted many times, it likely witnessed the transformation of generations of novices into initiated men.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea and Oceanic Art

INQUIRE HERE

 

If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer 

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us.

A Fine Old First Australians Boomerang from Central Australia

A Fine Old First Australians Boomerang from Central Australia

This beautiful old Boomerang was made by the Indigenous People of Central Australia. Finely carved from a single piece of hardwood and you can see the carver’s great skill in the finely adzed surface before he even carved in the beautiful designs. The designs consist of a central motif going from tip to tip branching off that is other motifs (on both sides of the boomerang ) these designs are also seen in contemporary Central Australian indigenous artists working on canvas.  The designs are ancient as the indigenous peoples of Australia.  The boomerang was also once coated with red ochre which traces remain.  This boomerang would date from the early to mid 29th Century and is in very good condition.  Boomerangs were hunting tools but were also used in important traditional ceremonies where the stories of the Ancient Ancestors told of how Boomerangs were given to people.

It comes on a fine custom-made stand that allows the boomerang to stand up independently and can display on a table where one can see both sides.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art 

Old Dogs Teeth Headband, Ramu River Area, East Sepik Province, PNG

Personal Ornaments in New Guinea and the Pacific Islands are some of the most beautiful objects made by the indigenous people of the Pacific Islands.  Ornaments made from shells or animal teeth are not only decorations to wear but they are part of the traditional wealth and currency used by native people.  They are used to pay for bridal dowries by a young mans family or as compensation for different types of disputes like over land for gardens or used in traditional ceremonies where giving wealth to others creates future obligations or debts.

Dogs Teeth are one of the most important types of traditional wealth used throughout New Guinea. Not just all dogs teeth but the four front canine teeth . The native dogs in New Guinea are similar to Australian Dingo’s they were brought by people from SE Asia long ago, some research said that dogs arrived in New Guinea 5000 years ago.  Dogs teeth are used in many types of traditional ornaments from simple necklaces to complex arrangement like this fine old Head Ornament where the Dogs Teeth are sewn to stand in perfect neat rows.  This fine old Headdress also has a edge of Nassa Shells that add to its beauty. You can see a woman wearing a similar headdress above in a photo I took in 1986.

When the Germans were in New Guinea before WW1 they saw how important Dogs Teeth were in the local economy and with foresight they had porcelain dogs teeth made in Dresden Germany and shipped them to New Guinea to pay native people for working on plantations. Those white porcelain dogs teeth can still be seen mixed in with real dogs teeth on ornaments from New Guinea.

In 1985- 1986 I made several trips to Papua New Guinea and at that time personal ornaments seemed to be readily available but when I went back  in 1990-1991 all these types of shell ornaments seemed much harder to find. People said “our grandparents are gone and no one is making these any longer”

Attached are a few of my field photos showing people wearing their traditional wealth ornaments.

INQUIRE HERE

If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer 

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us.

Superb Old New Guinea Shell Wealth Bangle Sulka People New Britain Island Papua New Guinea

Superb Old New Guinea Shell Wealth Bangle Sulka People New Britain Island Papua New Guinea Dating from the 19th Century 

These old spool-shaped Shell Bangles are Wealth Ornaments from the Sulka People of East New Britain Province Papua New Guinea. These beautiful old Shell Wealth Ornaments are 19th Century examples. I have seen the people in the Solomon’s are making modern versions of these and they are machine-made and look modern.

These three objects were made the traditional way of using bamboo and sand friction to cut and shape which took months of hard work. In all three fine examples, the largest heavy one is 12cm in diameter and quite thick and heavy. The other two are 11cm & 10.5cm in diameter and the quality is similar. These were collected in the early 20th Century. They date from the 19th Century.

Fine Shell Bangles like these were not worn daily for fear of damaging them, they were highly valued as a form of traditional currency and could be used in paying a dowry by a young man’s family for his bride.  As far as I know, the Sulka were the only people who made these spool-type bangles that have the deep groove, they were widely traded around New Britain and to the mainland of Papua New Guinea, the spool-shaped Bangle does appear to be part of an ancient tradition from SE Asia as I have seen them in Museums from Thailand.

In their ceremonial arts, the Sulka people of northern New Britain consciously seek to achieve magnificence, striving to maximize the visual impact on the viewer. Brightly pink colored and ephemeral Masks that the Sulka create for one-time use in dances and ceremonies, during which their fleeting beauty allows the audience to briefly glimpse the divine.

You can see the Sulka people’s great appreciation for beauty in these beautifully made bangles.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art 

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in 1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & Art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery.  I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com  where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours.

A Fine Old Australian Aboriginal Boomerang West Australia19th Century

A Fine Old Australian Aboriginal Boomerang West Australia dating from the 19th Century

Of good form and finely incised on both sides

An iconic symbol of Aboriginal culture, the boomerang is the most familiar of all Aboriginal art forms. Created by many, but not all, Aboriginal peoples, boomerangs served a variety of purposes. The best-known type was the returning boomerang, which was made in parts of southeastern and western Australia. Most, however, were non-returning. Employed primarily in hunting and warfare, boomerangs were specialized throwing sticks, designed to strike the target and fall to the ground. In hunting, they usually served to incapacitate the prey, allowing the hunter to catch the animal, which was killed with spears or other weapons. Primarily projectiles, in some areas, boomerangs were also general-purpose tools, serving, as needed, as knives, digging sticks, or fire-making implements. Some types were, and continue to be, used as musical instruments, clapped together to provide a rhythmic accompaniment for song and dance performances.

Provenance: Ex Holt Collection & The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic & Aboriginal Art

A Superb Ancient Solomon Islands Shell Wealth Ring Western Solomon Islands

A Superb Ancient Solomon Islands Shell Wealth Ring Western Solomon Islands

This massive heavy Shell Wealth Ring is from the Western Solomon Islands. These large heavy Shell Rings are made from fossilized Giant Clam Shell or Tridacna Gigas , No living animal is harmed as these are made from ancient fossilized Clam Shells that are part of the marine environment.

These largest Rings were the most important; they were clan heirlooms and were basically Land Title Deeds for specific areas that were known to all their neighbors.  These Shell Wealth Rings were used for Chiefs’ bridewealth payments, to purchase pigs, land, and maritime rights, for compensations, as grave ornaments, and for ritual appeasement.  They also had ceremonial uses and could transfer ancestral power from owner to owner.   This Shell Ring is a superb example it’s in very good condition and is likely several hundred years old.

Old Shell Rings like this are rare, they were not sold or gifted without genuine compensation.  New Shell Rings are now made to sell to tourists and collectors but they don’t have the same look or feeling of antiquity as they are made quickly with power tools.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art 

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in 1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & Art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery.  I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com  where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours.

INQUIRE HERE

 

If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer 

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us.

A Fine Old New Guinea Obsidian Bladed Dagger Admiralty Islands Manus Province Papua New Guinea

A Fine Old New Guinea Obsidian Bladed Dagger Admiralty Islands Papua New Guinea Dating from the early 20th Century 

Finely made chipped black obsidian Dagger Blade is made from the volcanic glass-like obsidian that is only found in the Maus Province of Papua New Guinea, the fine handle of the Dagger Blade is made from carved wood covered in parinarium nut paste that hardens when it dries and later gets incised designs and ochre painted.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art 

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in 1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & Art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery.  I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com  where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours.

INQUIRE HERE

 

If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer 

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us.

A Fine Old New Guinea Flute Stopper Middle Sepik River Area of Papua New Guinea

A Fine Old New Guinea Flute Stopper Middle Sepik River Area of Papua New Guinea

This older and used Flute Stopper is from the Sawos People in the Middle Sepik River area of Papua New Guinea. In the form of totemic animals a bird perched on the top of a crocodile’s head.  The back of the bird has finely incised designs and the whole object has a deep old crusty patina. The Flute Stopper dates from the late 19th – early 20th Century as it was collected in the Sepik River area in the 1930s

For many New Guinea peoples, flutes are among the most sacred and important of all musical instruments. Sacred flutes were made from hollow cylinders of bamboo and played, like a Western flute, by blowing through a hole in the side of the instrument near the upper end. The tops of these flutes were frequently decorated with ornamental flute stoppers like this example.  Some of the finest artworks made in the Sepik River area were the sacred Flute Stoppers. Flute stoppers portray stylized human images or images of totemic animals. These sacred flutes were used in pairs and were kept hidden in the Men’s Ceremonial House or haus tambaran.  The sound of the flutes is the voice of specific honored ancestors and they bear their personal names. Flutes are also associated with crocodile spirits and flutes were used during initiation rites in which novices had cuts made on their backs and chest that healed into permanent scarification that resemble crocodile skin and marking them as initiated individuals. Sacred Flutes were only seen by initiated men and played during important ceremonies.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art 

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honored by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in 1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & Art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery.  I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com  where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours.

INQUIRE HERE

If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer 

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us.

A Fine Old New Guinea Flute Stopper Sepik River Area Papua New Guinea Collected 1934

A Fine Old Flute Stopper from the Coastal Sepik River Area of Papua New Guinea was collected in 1934

This old and used Flute Stopper is from the Coastal Sepik River area of Papua New Guinea. In the form of a standing male ancestor figure who is wearing an elaborate headdress. This Flute Stopper dates from the early 20th Century as it was collected in the Sepik River area in the 1930s by Albert Gross. The Gross collection is in major collections in Europe and around the world.

For many New Guinea people, flutes are among the most sacred and important of all musical instruments. Sacred flutes were made from hollow cylinders of bamboo and played, like a Western flute, by blowing through a hole in the side of the instrument near the upper end. The tops of these flutes were almost always decorated with Flute Stoppers depicting important ancestors or totemic animals.  Some of the finest artworks made in the Sepik River area were the sacred Flute Stoppers.

This fine example portrays an important male ancestor wearing an elaborate headdress wear the person’s hair is pulled through a rattan cone decorated with dog teeth.

These sacred flutes were used in pairs and were kept hidden in the Men’s Ceremonial House or haus tambaran.  The sound of the flutes are the voices of specific honoured ancestors or spirits and the flutes have their personal names.

Flutes are also associated with crocodile spirits and flutes were used during initiation rites in which novices had cuts made on their backs and chest that healed into permanent scarification that resemble crocodile skin and marked them as initiated individuals.

Provenance: Collected by Albert Gross in 1934 and then by descent through his family. The Todd Balin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art 

See my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY  showing the Museums and Art Galleries Exhibitions that I provided artworks for over the past 40 years. There is the link to the article about my artworks published in the prestigious Louvre Magazine in 1996

I have artwork for Museums and art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery. I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specializes in New Guinea and Oceanic Art.  Sydney is very close to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbors.

INQUIRE HERE

If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer 

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us 

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