American Indian & Tribal Art 2021-12-17 Auction - 215 Price Results - Bonhams Skinner in MA
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Northwest Coast Chilkat BlanketNorthwest Coast Ceremonial RattleLuba Kifwebe Mask
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Boston, MA, United States
Auction Details

American Indian & Tribal Art

This December, the American Indian & Tribal Art sales are twofold: an online sale on view in our Marlborough gallery and a live sale at the Boston Gallery with preview times available by appointment. Both sales will feature a wide range of cultural artifacts from around the world. The Pre-Columbian section features pottery from the great cultures of Mexico and a collection of textiles from South America. There are a wide variety of Oceanic works, the highlight being a rare Easter Island Moai Kavakava originally from the Rockefeller collection in New York City. African sculpture includes powerful Songye Kifwebe masks, Baule sculpture, and a group of Nigerian artifacts, including Ibeji figures and Mumuye sculpture. Also featured are three contemporary Congo paintings from a Boston collection. American Indian lots feature a strong collection of Plains beadwork, including pictorial pipe bags and clothing, moccasins, knife sheaths, tomahawks, and clubs. There is a large section of Southwestern pottery from various private collections, Navajo textiles, and a very early Mexican saltillo serape. We are pleased to offer items from the now-closed Thunderbird Museum in New Jersey, the highlights being a collection of Californian baskets from the early 1900s.
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24
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Large Jalisco Seated Spout Figure: Large Jalisco Seated Spout Figure, seated figure with small legs, wide torso, with arms raised holding a vessel to the open mouth, with large ears, the headgear with a central hole, (repairs to both
0001: Large Jalisco Seated Spout FigureEst. $800-$1,200
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Mayan Polychrome Pottery Dish: Mayan Polychrome Pottery Dish, standing on three short legs, with flared sides, painted on the interior, the sides with two animals, the plate with a large bird, (restored and reassembled from
0002: Mayan Polychrome Pottery DishEst. $1,200-$1,800
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Pre-Columbian Shell Trumpet: Pre-Columbian Shell Trumpet, Peru, Moche, c. 300-600 A.D., with various incised shell and chrysocolla overlays depicting a seated warrior effigy, mounted on a custom metal stand, ht. 6 1/2 in.
0003: Pre-Columbian Shell TrumpetEst. $2,000-$2,500
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Nazca/Huari Tie Dye Textile: Nazca/Huari Tie Dye Textile, Peru, c. 500-1000 A.D., a cushma with overall patchwork design of alternating rectangles, each tie-dyed with diamond-shaped devices, woven in wool, mounted onto fabric,
0004: Nazca/Huari Tie Dye TextileEst. $2,000-$3,000
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Asmat Shield: Asmat Shield, Irian Jaya, the front decorated with typical repeating abstract designs carved in relief, with red and white pigments, 71 x 21 1/2 in.
0005: Asmat ShieldEst. $800-$1,200
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Painted Wood Spirit Board, Kwoi: Painted Wood Spirit Board, Kwoi, Purari Delta, Papuan Gulf, Papua New Guinea, late 19th/early 20th century, long narrow form with each end terminating in a squared point, decorated in high relief
0006: Painted Wood Spirit Board, KwoiEst. $12,000-$18,000
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Huon Gulf Canoe Stanchion: Huon Gulf Canoe Stanchion, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, 20th century, elongated form, the domed base supporting an oblong pierced shaft ended by a circular motif, all surmounted by a
0007: Huon Gulf Canoe StanchionEst. $1,800-$2,400Lot Passed
New Guinea War Trumpet, Kul: New Guinea War Trumpet, Kul, Iatmul, Middle Sepik River, early to mid-20th century, the finial in the form of a bird's head, the body decorated in the typical Iatmul incised circular motifs, with a
0008: New Guinea War Trumpet, KulEst. $2,500-$3,500Lot Passed
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Santa Cruz Dance Staff, Napa: Santa Cruz Dance Staff, Napa, Solomon Islands, hardwood, in the form of a highly stylized canoe, with two raised opposing abstracted ancestral heads, the whole decorated with classical linear
0009: Santa Cruz Dance Staff, NapaEst. $700-$900
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Vanuatu Hardwood War Club: Vanuatu Hardwood War Club, Malekula Island, 19th century, the head with four carved balls and a mushroom-shaped head, with elaborate woven fiber strap with fringe, smooth dark patina, lg. 27 in.
0010: Vanuatu Hardwood War ClubEst. $400-$600
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Vanuatu Hardwood War Club: Vanuatu Hardwood War Club, Ambrym Island, 19th century, the rounded butt end, with long shaft and rectangular head with pointed corners, (loss to the head), lg. 39 1/4 in. Provenance: The Abraham
0011: Vanuatu Hardwood War ClubEst. $400-$600
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Kanak Mask: Kanak Mask, Southern Grand Terre, New Caledonia, 19th century, hollowed out, with deeply cut facial features, a rectangular cutout mouth, inset eyes, and prominent nose, dark patina, on custom metal
0012: Kanak MaskEst. $6,000-$8,000
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Kanak Spear Element with Mask: Kanak Spear Element with Mask, New Caledonia, 19th century, cut from a war spear, the slender wood shaft with a carved mask, framed on either end by decorative engraved devices, dark, encrusted
0013: Kanak Spear Element with MaskEst. $1,500-$2,000
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Maori Fighting Staff, Taiaha: Maori Fighting Staff, Taiaha, New Zealand, 19th century, the long shaft with Janus-head finial, the stylized protruding tongue with finely carved scroll design, below a fabric-wrapped cone, (the head
0014: Maori Fighting Staff, TaiahaEst. $2,000-$3,000
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Collection of Maori House Boards, Poupou: Collection of Maori House Boards, Poupou, c. fourth quarter 19th century, New Zealand, ten tall painted interior house boards, with four shorter panels decorated with a figure, a lintel panel with
0015: Collection of Maori House Boards, PoupouEst. $8,000-$12,000
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Futuna Tapa Cloth Panel: Futuna Tapa Cloth Panel, French Polynesia, large panel of tapa, decorated in the typical finely painted manner of Futuna Island, mounted, glazed, and framed in a large black frame, size of the tapa
0016: Futuna Tapa Cloth PanelEst. $3,000-$5,000
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Fiji Islands Gadroon-headed Throwing Club, Ula: Fiji Islands Gadroon-headed Throwing Club, Ula, early to mid-19th century, the large head partitioned into numerous lobes, the handle with a complex tavatava design at the butt end, which is hollowed
0017: Fiji Islands Gadroon-headed Throwing Club, UlaEst. $1,200-$1,800
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Fijian Rootstock Club, Vunikau: Fijian Rootstock Club, Vunikau, 19th century, ironwood, the rootstock of the tree forms the head of the club, with side roots cut off so as to leave protuberances, with tavatava-carved grip and dark
0018: Fijian Rootstock Club, VunikauEst. $800-$1,200
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Fijian Hardwood Paddle Club, Culacula: Fijian Hardwood Paddle Club, Culacula, 19th century, broad flat club with two slightly protruding arms, rounded, pierced lug at butt for a hand strap, dark patina, with traces of original shellac,
0019: Fijian Hardwood Paddle Club, CulaculaEst. $800-$1,200
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Fijian Chief or Priest's Club, Culacula: Fijian Chief or Priest's Club, Culacula, 19th century, the broad blade, partially decorated in finely carved geometric designs, together with two small glyphs depicting human figures, the handle with
0020: Fijian Chief or Priest's Club, CulaculaEst. $8,000-$12,000
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Tongan Chief's Scepter: Tongan Chief's Scepter, early 19th century, the shaft flaring at the end to form a ball head, the neck and head with a large number of carved inlaid shapes, such as stars, crescents and abstract
0021: Tongan Chief's ScepterEst. $5,000-$7,000
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Tongan Headrest, Kali Laloni: Tongan Headrest, Kali Laloni, 19th century, the curved pillow with flat top side, supported by two carved legs attached with fiber cord, lg. 21 in. Provenance: The Abraham and Paula Rosman
0022: Tongan Headrest, Kali LaloniEst. $1,800-$2,400
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Tongan Neck Rest, Kali: Tongan Neck Rest, Kali, 19th century, hardwood, a large example, the typical shallow "M" form, hahapo, carved from one piece of wood, ht. 6 1/2, lg. 16 in. Provenance: Leo and Lillian Fortess
0023: Tongan Neck Rest, KaliEst. $2,500-$3,500
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Hawaiian Hair Ornament: Hawaiian Hair Ornament, 19th century, carved from a whale tooth, with two long prongs, with collection number label, lg. 6 1/8 in.
0024: Hawaiian Hair OrnamentEst. $2,500-$3,000
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