Mid-20th Century Tami Islands Papua New Guinea Tribal Wooden Feast Bowl

From Papua New Guinea an early painted Maprik carved wood head sculpture or mask, intense expression showing teeth, and two opposing stylize...

Early finely carved hard wood Kuba figural cup, Congo with rich patina. In the form of a stylized face with the base of the cup a foot. Great incised classic Kuba crisscross design for hair. Deep patina from extensive use, early 20th century. Small chips to top rim. Great stylized heart shaped face with expressive eyes. Measures 6 1/5 x 3 1/2 x 5 inches. Kuba palm wine cups...

Vanuatu Carved Wood Tam-Tam Slit Drum Finial, Ambrym Island. An ancestral figure “Atingting kon” carving from a single log of the breadfruit tree mounted on a later black lacquered custom wood pedestal. This slit drum from Ambrym Island in the north central region of Vanuatu consists of a head carved from a single trunk in a crescent form as the top of the vertical drum as on a body. The single motif of a face, standing out in isolation at the top of a column of wood above the slit, achieves a spectacular effect with a minimum of ornamentation. The head, like that of graded-society, tree-fern sculptures, is dominated by an aquiline yet broad nose and exaggerated large round disc protruding eyes which give an impression of great serenity and composure. There is a serrated relief outline of the face with an additional two relief rows at the top alluding to hair. Just beneath the chin is the traditional opposing spiral design in relief. Condition: The finial was salvaged from a much larger slit drum of considerable height. The drum is cut evenly on the underside of the finial with three drilled holes for brass pins attaching the figure to the custom base. A gnarled wood configuration on the backside of the head with weathered loss top side Usual signs of age and wear, otherwise fine. Minor edge flakes to the black lacquered base. Age: Conservatively, Mid-20th Century. Sculpture Measurements: 60.5 in. high x 18.5 in. deep x 17 in. wide (153.6 x 47 x 43cm). Weight, 150 lbs. (68,039grams) Stand Measurements: 30 in. high x 21 in. deep x 19 in. wide. ( 76.2 x 53.3 x 48.3cm) Weight 106 lbs. (48,081 grams) Total Measurements: 90.5 in high ( 230 cm ), 256 lbs. (116.12 kg.) Provenance: An Upper West Side Estate, New York Auctions at Showplace, New York City Estate Auction, 9/24/26, Astoria, NY lot #177. L'Asie Exotique, Palm Springs, CA For other Vanuatu slit drums and finials see: Brooklyn Museum, New York, 2015.43.1 National Gallery of Victoria, BC 1998.338 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1978.412.736 from the Michael Rockefeller...

Early Papua New Guinea painted Maprik carved hard wood mask. Mid-20th century, with wonderful curved expressive asymmetrical face. Long nose with pierced septum. Faded polychrome pig...

Kuba palm wine bowl - Democratic Republic of the Congo - first half 20th century Palm wine cup carved in dense wood by a Kuba craftsman, in the form of a stylized female head resting...

Ornately decorated rim, with abstract carvings on bottom. Beautiful rich patina.

Its elongated oval shape recalls that of a canoe, it has two carved handles shaped like stylized animals. This artwork is shipped from Italy. Under existing legislation, any artwo...

Kuba palm wine bowl - Democratic Republic of the Congo - early 20th century Kuba anthropomorphic bowl carved from a single block of wood and intended for the consumption of palm wine...