Art For Sale Archive - Page 7 of 51 - Oceanic Arts Australia

Two Fine Old African Beaded Wooden Flutes or Whistles Bamileke Grasslands People Cameroon

Two Fine Old African Beaded Wooden Flutes or Whistles Bamileke Grasslands People Cameroon

These beautiful old Ceremonial Flutes come from the Bamileke people of the Cameroon Grasslands.

Flutes of differing shapes and forms are used in ceremonies across West Africa. The Grasslands flutes have a distinctive shape that incorporates zoomorphic and anthropomorphic elements in a supremely functional design. These lovely carved wooden flutes in traditional form, take on the shape of a hollowed, stylized figure that combines human and animal features. Two finger holes on either side of the body mimic projecting arms. The top is carved into a large crescent shape, which helps support the lips when played.

The flutes are embroidered with traditional glass beads. Usually played by men during a dance known as Ndong. Ndong is performed when a new wife arrives at her husband’s house. On that occasion, music is supplied exclusively by this type of flute or whistle. The art styles of the peoples in the Grasslands (Bamileke, Bamum and Tikar) are very hard to differentiate due to the complex migration and exchange patterns that are typical of the region.

My collection was selected by aesthetics only not by geography or culture, I bought only what I liked the best after looking at many examples in reference books & museum collections. The African Artworks in my collection consist of a collection of antique Passport Masks, antique African Flutes or Whistles and, small Ancestor Figures; these are greatly enjoyed & displayed along with my Oceanic & Asian Art

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of African & 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.

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 superb old Aboriginal Bark Painting from Western Arnhem Land Northern Territory Australia

This Superb Old Bark Painting depicting Ngalkunburriyaymi and Namorrordrdo Spirits from the Oenpelli Area in Western Arnhem Land Northern Australia

In Western Arnhem Land, Ngalkunburriyaymi is the female spirit, sister of Ngalyod (the rainbow serpent) and the child of creator spirit Jingana. The Namorrordrdo at her side is an malevolent spirit whose magical power is represented by the depiction of the beard.

Cross-hatching on bark paintings called Raark is one of the most distinctive and beautiful features of Arnhem Land Bark Paintings closely-spaced fine lines are drawn in particular colours, intersecting each other. The chosen colours may be specific to a particular clan, and the effect is difficult to describe but produces a deep impression on the viewer. Traditionally, the most sacred designs drawn on bodies during ceremonies were drawn with a quality called “bir’yun”, which is loosely translated as scintillation (as in the twinkling of stars) but carries a connotation of sunlight reflected off the sparkling water.

Indigenous Artists from the Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, use crushed earth ochre pigments to paint on sheets of eucalyptus bark, they paint beautiful spiritual images of deep cultural significance that show their spiritual connection with specific tracts of country

Arnhem Land Rock Art sites are some thousands of years old where ancient rock shelters were painted and maintained over generations, Arnhem Land is world-renowned for its Rock Art.

The designs seen on Arnhem Land Bark Paintings are traditional designs that are owned by the artist, or his “skin”, or his clan, and cannot be painted by other artists. In many cases, these designs would traditionally be used to paint the body for ceremonies or rituals, and also to decorate logs used in ceremonies. Artists also would paint designs on the bark walls and roofs of their shelters where stayed during seasonal food gathering.

Provenance: Painted at Gunbalanya (Oenpelli), Arnhem Land circa 1975. The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic and Australian Aboriginal

If you have any Bark Paintings I am always interested in buying & I pay top prices for Bark Paintings that I like.

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 War Shield, Wahgi Valley, Western Highlands Papua New Guinea

A Fine Old New Guinea War Shield Wahgi Valley, Western Highlands Papua New Guinea

This old and well-used shield was collected in the Wahgi Valley in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea in 1965 -1966 by a geologist working in New Guinea. The bold design is started by a punctated pecking that becomes the outline for the designs that are painted in yellow, white, and black colours. This shield has signs of being well used in fighting because of the many arrows and spearheads embedded in the front of the shield. Wahgi Valley Clans have a range of designs that they use on their shields, each design is likely to belong to a specific clan and can be easily recognized by enemies and clansmen alike. Warfare was widespread among traditional enemies in neighboring areas and alliances were made & broken regularly between groups. These large rectangular shields were used in battle by two men, one pushing the shield forward and another warrior hiding behind the shield and free to use his bow and arrows with great accuracy. Old photos of fighting in the New Guinea Highlands show many warriors with shields facing off over a large space where people surge forward and then move back. I have seen warriors standing on rural dirt roads with their shields expecting a fight, this was in the 1980s, and later when people acquired guns then shields became obsolete due to their not being effective against modern guns. Hanging on the wall in my home it looks amazing. The shield would have been made in the 1930s as it was old when collected in 1965.

Provenance: Collected in 1965 -1966 by a geologist working in New Guinea

The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art Art

See more Shields in Shields Gallery

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 Superb Old New Guinea Ancestor Staff by the Massim Master Carver Banieva (1863–1930)

A Superb Old New Guinea Ancestor Staff by Banieva (1863–1930) from Dagodagoisu Village, Sua Area, Milne Bay Province, New Guinea

In the field of New Guinea Art where virtually all of the many thousands of carvers remain unidentified, Banieva along with his contemporary Mutuaga both were known & recognized as a master carver whose work has been admired and collected since the late 19^th Century. Gratefully there exists a photo of Banieva taken in 1926 while carving (see above he is on the right )

This fine sculpture depicts two men smoking pipes back to back. This is the unique style of Baniea where the hands are held to the chest with the wrists at odd angles ending with imaginative fingers of different lengths. The expressive face of each man smoking a pipe, this unique naturalistic style that both Banieva & Mutuaga are renowned for.

Charles Abel and Francis Edgar Williams both men knew Banieva & Mutuaga & bought many carvings from them in the late 19^th / early 20^th Century that ended up in Museum collections around the world.

Banieva Gimagima born circa 1860, lived and worked in the Sua District in the Milne Bay province of Papua New Guinea. Banieva would have known well the other famous Massim carver of that time Mutuaga. According to Harry Beran in his book “Mutuaga: A Nineteenth Century New Guinea Master Carver: Wollongong University Press 1996 page 22 states “The only carver of Mutuaga’s generation that was a well-known artist is Banieva Gimagima nicknamed Tauseuseuli or Left Hander, who lived in Sapauri Village from 1863 to the early 1930s, he was of the Magesubu (Fish Hawk) Clan. His photo taken by FE Williams in 1925 (below) appeared in the Papuan Village Magazine on February 15 1929, in that article by Williams and reproduced below shows Banieva working on a Wealth Axe Handle the other better photo of Banieva below was likely taken at the same time. He is also said to have carved Hunan Figures on stands with legs and Lime Spatula with human figure handles & other traditional carvings.

Banieva’s carvings are unique in their stylized representation of ancestor figures, several of his artworks can be seen in the book Mutuaga: A Nineteenth Century New Guinea Master Carver: Wollongong University Press 1996 Page 233, Both Banieva & Mutuaga were said to be the last of the old-time carvers of their generation that produced artworks for local use before the arrival of Europeans. Reference: Mutuaga: A Nineteenth Century New Guinea Master Carver: Wollongong University Press 1996 Page 233 for other figures carved by Banieva

We are also fortunate in the extensive research and writings of the art historian Dr. Harry Beran who has studied Massim Art & Culture for over 60 years.

Provenance: Possibly Collected by Charles Abel or F.E. Williams in the late 19^th Century, both men knew both Banieva & Mutuaga & bought many carvings from them that ended up in Museum collections around the world.

The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic Art

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 Superb Old New Guinea Ancestor Figure by the Massim Master Carver Banieva (1863–1930)

A Superb Old Ancestor Figure by the Master Carver Banieva, (1863–1930) from Dagodagoisu Village, Sua Area, Milne Bay Province, New Guinea

This fine sculpture depicts a man wearing a ceremonial belt with deep incised scrolling designs on his back, chest, and cheeks, as well as on the uneven base he stands on. The unique style of the hands which are held to the chest with the wrists at odd angles ending with imaginative fingers of different lengths. The expressive face with open mouth and the is tongue is showing, rendered in his unique naturalistic style that both Banieva & Mutuaga are renowned for.

Charles Abel and Francis Edgar Williams both men knew Banieva & Mutuaga & bought many carvings from them in the late 19^th / early 20^th Century that ended up in Museum collections around the world.

We are also fortunate in the extensive research and writings of the art historian Dr. Harry Beran who has studied Massim Art & Culture for over 60 years.

The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic Art

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 Japanese Natural Form Burl Wood Figure Scholars Object Okimono

A Fine Old Japanese Natural Form Burl Wood Figure Scholars Object or Okimono

The Japanese aesthetic of using natural forms in wood with minimal carving is one of the most beautiful objects I have ever collected.

A Scholars Object or Okimono is a Japanese decorative object created specifically for visual enjoyment. This form is described in Japanese as Wabi-Sabi

In Zen philosophy there are seven aesthetic principles for achieving Wabi-Sabi as listed below;

Fukinsei (不均斉): asymmetry, irregularity;

Kanso (簡素): simplicity;

Koko (考古): basic, weathered;

Shizen (自然): without pretence, natural;

Yugen (幽玄): subtly profound grace, not obvious;

Datsuzoku (脱俗): unbounded by convention, free;

This beautiful object can be whatever you see in it at all the different angles, just as when viewing clouds in the sky each person sees something different.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of Japanese Art & Objects & Asian Art & Objects.

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 Superb Old Coolamon Bowl Central Australia 19th Century

A Superb Old Coolamon Bowl, Central Australi,a 19th Century

This very fine, beautiful old Coolamon is stone carved and is nearly perfect in every manner, starting with the fine shape. The overall thickness of the bowl tapers slightly to the edges, the bottom of the bowl is convex as if it were made to sit gently in one’s hands or lap, and both sides of the bowl are finely incised with the same fluted designs. The whole bowl has a deep, rich, old patina from decades of daily use and traces of red ochre applied many times over long periods.

Coolamons were traditionally used by Aboriginal women to carry water, fruit, and nuts, as well as to cradle babies. Coolamons were often carried on the head when traveling any distance, or under the arm if used as a cradle. If carried on the head, a ring pad was placed on the head, made out of possum and or human hair string. This helped to cushion and support the carriage of the coolamon. The Pintupi of the Western Desert would attach a double strand of plaited rope made of hair or plant fibre to sling the coolamon over their shoulders. They also wore smaller coolamons as hats, with twine around the chin.

Coolamons were used for winnowing grains in the traditional bread-making process, as well as a general heating and cooking vessel. They could even be used as an umbrella.

Coolamons were generally made by men. They are usually made from a hardwood such as mallee. A piece of the outer bark of the tree is removed and then molded over the fire to give it its distinctive curved sides. Deep ridges were made using a quartz stone knife. It needed to stand for several days, with a stick of wood holding it open to prevent it from losing its shape

Coolamons were often ornately decorated on their exterior with various designs. They were also used in ceremonies, such as for aromatic smoking, which was believed to have purifying effects.

They were rubbed regularly with fat, such as emu fat, to keep the wood in good condition.

Provenance: The Tood Barlin Collection of Aboriginal & New Guinea Oceanic Arts

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.

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 Central Australia Aboriginal Shield 19th Century

A Fine Old Central Australia Aboriginal Shield 19th Century

This very fine old example of Central Australia Shield is made of Beanwood and is coarsely covered with red ochre and fat. There is continuous incised fluting on both sides with a deep-cut lug handle on the back.

The front of the shield is cut with deep grooves used for fire-making. Shields were not only a defensive weapon but also used for ceremonies painted with ochre designs, the shield was also a multipurpose tool and used for making fires. The companion tool used for this was a hardwood spear-thrower that doubled up as a saw. The saw was rubbed back and forth in the grooves producing shavings, heat, and eventually, flame. Since Aboriginal hunters and warriors carried both shields and spear-throwers with them, they were able to make fire at all times.

Provenance: Bill Newcomen Snr (1927 to 2012)

Collected at Wave Hill Station Kimberly Area West Australia by Bill Newcomen in 1953.

He was good friends with Vincent Liniari who in August 1966, Vincent Lingiari, a Gurindji spokesman, led a walk-off of 200 Aboriginal stockmen, house servants, and their families from Wave Hill as a protest against the work and pay conditions.

The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic Art

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 19th Century

A Fine Old New Guinea Flute Stopper from the Coastal Sepik River Area in the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea

This old and well-used Flute Stopper is from the Coastal Sepik River area of Papua New Guinea. In the form of a standing male ancestor figure holding his hands to his chest, the figure has a presence that the older New Guinea sculptures often have. The energy and presence in New Guinea Art is what inspired many of the early 20th-century Western modern artists; painters and sculptors have been greatly inspired and influenced by the tribal arts of Oceania. Since the turn of the century when Gauguin, Picasso, Matisse, and others first acquainted themselves with masks and sculptures from these areas, modern artists have continued to display a strong interest in the art and culture of tribal societies.

The Museum of Modern Art in New York had the ground-breaking exhibition “Primitivism In 20th Century” in 1984 that showcased Oceanic & African Art along with Gauguin, Picasso, Brancusi, Modigliani, Klee, the Expressionists, and Surrealists–most deeply involved with Oceanic Art. This is a must-own publication if you can find a copy.

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.

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 own 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 chests that healed into permanent scarification that resembled crocodile skin and marked them as initiated individuals.

Provenance: The John Friede Collection ( Joika Coll) New York. The Todd Balin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art

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 Superb Maori Smoking Pipe Attributed to the Maori Master Carver Patoromu Tamatea Circa 1850 died 1890

A Superb Maori Smoking Pipe Attributed to the Maori Master Carver Patoromu Tamatea Circa 1850 to 1890

This beautifully carved Maori Smoking Pipe is a great sculpture, carved in the form of an ancestor figure which is similar the the Maori ” acrobat figures ” sometimes found on the finials of 19th Paddles where the figures are depicted in impossible human positions; this pipe has the shoulders and arms evolving out of the head with the hands on the mouth, the legs positioned below but there is no torso or body. It is a playful carving but also a constant reminder of the ancestors made visible on daily use objects.

Patoromu Tamatea Of Ngati Tamateatutahi, a sub tribe of Ngati Pikiao. He was a distinguished carver and built several canoes at Kopuatepa at Rotoiti. He worked at cultivations at Onepoto, Manututu, and Ngakokako, where he and others built a canoe called Te Ahikaka. Work ceased at Ngakokako in 1864 when the Tairawhiti army arrived and most of the people returned to Rotoiti.

Patoromu was involved in settling a dispute over pigs at Wairere at Tokerau on the north shore of Lake Rotoiti.

Many of Patoromu Tamatea carved figures, weapons, lidded bowls, boxes, walking sticks, and tobacco pipes are now in Auckland Museum and the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa. (Information from Roger Neich, Auckland Institute and Museum)

This is one of my favorite artworks.

Provenance: Old Collection Australia. The Todd Barlin Collection of Maori & Polynesian Art

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

Archives: Art For Sale

Two Fine Old African Beaded Wooden Flutes or Whistles Bamileke Grasslands People Cameroon

A superb old Aboriginal Bark Painting from Western Arnhem Land Northern Territory Australia

A Fine Old New Guinea War Shield, Wahgi Valley, Western Highlands Papua New Guinea

See more Shields in Shields Gallery

A Superb Old New Guinea Ancestor Staff by the Massim Master Carver Banieva (1863–1930)

A Superb Old New Guinea Ancestor Figure by the Massim Master Carver Banieva (1863–1930)

A Fine Old Japanese Natural Form Burl Wood Figure Scholars Object Okimono

A Superb Old Coolamon Bowl Central Australia 19th Century

A Fine Old Central Australia Aboriginal Shield 19th Century

A Fine Old New Guinea Flute Stopper Sepik River Area Papua New Guinea 19th Century

A Superb Maori Smoking Pipe Attributed to the Maori Master Carver Patoromu Tamatea Circa 1850 died 1890

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