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Original pieces from ancient Egypt are almost impossible to acquire at a reasonable price. And there are the issues of importing, exporting, authentication and language. With that said, here is an item that is old but not necessarily ancient. Pharaonic figures painted on a small…
Continue reading → - Item Number: C-1710
- Provenance/Origin: Luxor antique shop. Likely from the 1930s or earlier
- Composition: Box is wood. Ushabti is stone
- Dimensions: Box: 7" wide x 5" deep x 4" tall; Shabti: 4.75" tall
- Weight: 2 pounds for both
- Price: $ 175.00 USD
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Well carved and in good condition. Acquired from a retired mechanical engineer who was stationed in PNG on a gold mining operation. Authentic. From the 1940s. Hard to find in this condition.
- Item Number: S-1117
- Provenance/Origin: PNG. Circa 1940s.
- Composition: Wood
- Dimensions: 8" tall x 2" at widest
- Weight: 1 pound
- Price: $ 90.00 USD
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Batak tribes are well known for their carved medicine containers like this (see C-7734, for another). This one is less artistic and more functional, but using the traditional motifs of the Singa (protective creature) and ASO (human-like heads). Functional? This particular container was used (lightly)…
Continue reading → - Item Number: C-0450
- Provenance/Origin: Halangan. N. Sumatra. Age unknown.
- Composition: Wood, metal, cord
- Dimensions: 10" long x 4.5" deep x 5.25" tall
- Weight: 1.25 pounds
- Price: $ 110.00 USD
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The over 2 million Bamana people form the largest ethnic group in Mali and occupy the savannah in the central portion of the country. The Bamana (aka Bambara) kingdom was founded in the 17th Century and reached their height of power in the mid- to late-1700s. The Marka…
Continue reading → - Item Number: M-7539
- Provenance/Origin: Northern Mali. Circa 1940s - 1950s
- Composition: Wood
- Dimensions: 24.5" tall x 8 " wide x 7" deep
- Weight: 4.25 pounds
- Price: $ 190.00 USD
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I have run across a few of these “yawn” masks over the last few years and have not been impressed. But this one is different. This is an artisan’s stunning interpretation of what is supposed to be a satisfying gesture. But with the wrinkled forehead, flared…
Continue reading → - Item Number: M-8506
- Provenance/Origin: Bali. Circa 1960s.
- Composition: Hibiscus and horse hair
- Dimensions: 10.5 tall x 6" wide x 3.5" deep... none including the flowing hair
- Weight: 1 pound
- Price: $ 58.00 USD
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The Dan people – an ethnolinguistic grouping – has presence in the mountainous areas of Côte d’Ivoire and adjacent areas of Liberia. This particular mask is from Liberia and specifically used by the Poro . . . a secret society where only males are admitted. As…
Continue reading → - Item Number: M-1763
- Provenance/Origin: Dan. Liberia. Circa late-1900s
- Composition: Wood, shells, cord
- Dimensions: 10" tall x 6" wide (wooden mask only)
- Weight: 1.5 pounds
- Price: $ 195.00 USD
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You all know about the use of this Phurba… how it is and was used in the construction of sacred buildings to drive away hatred and demonic obstacles. But here is a new twist to its formation. Banjhakri are “forest or wilderness” shamanic deities. They…
Continue reading → - Item Number: W-8760
- Provenance/Origin: Nepal. Circa mid-1900s
- Composition: Wood and cloth
- Dimensions: 12" long (without cloth extended) x 1" at widest diameter
- Weight: 0.75 pound
- Price: $ 135.00 USD
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There is an ancient legend about the two warriors who fought with each other in many battles. In one such battle, the older warrior killed the younger. When he removed the mask of the dead warrior, he saw that it was his son….. leading to torment…
Continue reading → - Item Number: S-8143
- Provenance/Origin: Carved in Central Asia. Age unknown
- Composition: Wood
- Dimensions: 8" tall x 7.5" wide x 8" deep
- Weight: 6.25 pounds
- Price: $ 68.00 USD
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Not to be confused with the Wayang Topeng mask used in a dramatic form of dance performances, this mask was used in performances and stories about the kingdom of Janggala . . . about a love story between a prince and princess. Obviously not used by the…
Continue reading → - Item Number: M-1600
- Provenance/Origin: Bali through Thailand. Age unknown
- Composition: Wood
- Dimensions: 12" tall x 5.5" at widest point
- Weight: 1 pound
- Price: $ 88.00 USD
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The Zigula are a Tanzanian ethnic and linguistic people from the northern Pwani Region and southern Tanga Region. Zigua art, like most art from Tanzania, is poorly understood… and frequently misidentified. They absolutely have a vibrant tradition of ritual carvings. Their “mummy” figures are thought…
Continue reading → - Item Number: S-3750
- Provenance/Origin: Zigua. Tanzania. Mid- to Late- 1900s
- Composition: Wood and Fabric
- Dimensions: 13.25" tall x 3" wide x 2" deep
- Weight: 1 pound
- Price: $ 315.00 USD
