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Acquired from the Hunt Slonem’s collection, an American painter and sculptor. Interestingly enough, one of his most well-known quotes is: “I would say my whole life could be summed up by the word ‘exotica’”. Wonder what the rest…
Continue reading → - Item Number: S-6330
- Provenance/Origin: 18th Century, Thailand. Slonem Collection
- Composition: Wood
- Dimensions: 12" tall x 7" wide x 5" deep
- Weight: 3.75 pounds
- Price: $ 385.00 USD
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By now you know the significance of this Hindu deity riding between the Garuda (protector) wings. If not, ask me. I have books on the symbolism . Carved in the 1940s -1950s in the town of Ubud in the…
Continue reading → - Item Number: S-1250
- Provenance/Origin: Ubud Bali. 1940s - 1950s
- Composition: Wood, gold leaf, paint
- Dimensions: 36" tall x ~34" at widest
- Weight: ~25 pounds
- Price: $ 1,650.00 USD
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Look at the dynamic carvings of this helmet mask. The high and bulging forehead is quite normal for this ethnic group. But the depth and symbolism of the carvings is quite extraordinary. I have spent some time in trying to determine the significance of this…
Continue reading → - Item Number: M-8069
- Provenance/Origin: Congo. Circa mid-1900s
- Composition: Wood and Cord
- Dimensions: 15" tall x 9" wide x 8" deep
- Weight: 2.75 pounds
- Price: $ 265.00 USD
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An object d’art wooden bird mask, with a quality suitable for a museum exhibit. Superbly carved by Chokwe artisans to honor divine ancestors. Acquired from a Pretoria South African Gallery whose owner has direct access to chiefs in the Congo. Based on my purchases and…
Continue reading → - Item Number: M-2486
- Provenance/Origin: DNC, Congo. Circa 1975 - 1900s
- Composition: Wood, pigment, woven vegetal fibers
- Dimensions: 16" tall x 12" wide x 8" deep
- Weight: 4 pounds (mask alone)
- Price: $ 1,195.00 USD
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One of the three known royal masks, the helmet Bwoom is one of the oldest mask types used by the Kuba. These were introduced in the 17th Century by King Miko mi-Mbul. Most often used in funerals, they are also used…
Continue reading → - Item Number: M-5805
- Provenance/Origin: Kuba peoples. DRC. Circa mid-1900s
- Composition: Wood. Twine and fabric.
- Dimensions: 15" tall x 14" at widest x 16" deep
- Weight: 7.5 pounds (mask alone)
- Price: $ 835.00 USD
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I have seen many spears from this region of New Guinea during my 50 years of collecting but not quite like this one. The intricate wood carving with its design and detail is quite spectacular. I believe it is carved from Black Palm. Black Palm is…
Continue reading → - Item Number: O-8462
- Provenance/Origin: PNG. Blackwater. Circa mid-1990s
- Composition: Wood, perhaps Black Palm
- Dimensions: 43" long x 4" at widest
- Weight: 1.25 pounds
- Price: $ 378.00 USD
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The Yoruba peoples inhabit a large part of southwestern Nigeria. They have been known to place their trust in the powers of the fetish to assist them during times of need. A fetish – aka Nkisi – is a wood carving that the village…
Continue reading → - Item Number: S-6567
- Provenance/Origin: Yoruba. SW Nigeria. Circa mid-1900s
- Composition: Wood, cloth, fibers, metal
- Dimensions: 12" tall x 4.5" wide x 4" deepest
- Weight: 1.75 pounds
- Price: $ 385.00 USD
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Sure, the Ibans / Dayaks were renowned for practicing headhunting to further territorial expansion. They had a fearsome reputation until the Europeans arrived with their colonization in the 1800s. Some headhunting episodes were reported into the mid-1900s. There were rituals, ceremonies and festivals all…
Continue reading → - Item Number: O-2751
- Provenance/Origin: Dayak, Indonesia, Circa 1940s. From a private collection
- Composition: Wood and metal stand
- Dimensions: 36.5" on stand x 1.5" diameter at widest point
- Weight: 2.25 pounds
- Price: $ 465.00 USD
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This mask was used in a dramatic form of Indonesian dance called Topeng. Such masks are used to interpret traditional stories concerning fabled kings, heros and myths. Hand made and hand painted in the mid-1900s and acquired in Cirebon in West Java (about 200 miles east…
Continue reading → - Item Number: M-2237
- Provenance/Origin: Cirebon West Java Indonesia. Mid-1900s
- Composition: Wood, paint
- Dimensions: 13" tall x 8" wide x 2.75" deep
- Weight: 2 pounds
- Price: $ 125.00 USD
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Manjushri (aka The Gentle Glory) is the oldest / most significant Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism and is the embodiment of transcendent wisdom. His right hand holds a flaming sword, which represents the sharpness of prajna that can cut through the growth of suffering and the net of…
Continue reading → - Item Number: F-8748
- Provenance/Origin: China. Chengu
- Composition: Silk, paper, paint, wood, ribbon
- Dimensions: Image: 4 x 5.75"; Overall: 8.5 x 14"
- Weight: 1 pound
- Price: $ 26.00 USD
