- (4) War clubs to include gun stock club
(4) War clubs to include gun stock club with cast iron spike through haft, in engraved arrow, figure and bow decoration and rivet decoration, 25 3/4"L, a New Caledonian male phallus Kanak war club, 29"L, what appears to be a Polynesian Tongan war club in limited decoration, 25"L along with a Maori war club with carved face at end of handle, 12 1/2"L
- HUGE 19TH C. FIJIAN WOOD YAQONA BOWL
HUGE 19TH C. FIJIAN WOOD YAQONA BOWL (TANOA)**Originally Listed At $2000**
Polynesia, Fiji, ca. 19th century CE. An enormous wooden kava vessel carved in the form of a sea turtle. The deep circular bowl is supported by six integral legs. Large bowls of this kind (known as tanoa or kumete ni yaqona), cut from a single block, were used for the mixing of the psychoactive beverage called yaqona ( pronounced yanggona, in Fijia; also kava or kava kava in Tongan), made from the stems and roots of the pepper bush Piper methysticum, mixed with water. By the 18th century, the Tongan practice of kava preparation - a chief ritual - spread to other regions of Oceania like Fiji and Samoa. Size: 32.5" in diameter x 11.125" H (82.6 cm x 28.3 cm) Size: 60" L x 32.5" W x 11.125" H (152.4 cm x 82.6 cm x 28.3 cm)
Bowls created for the preparation of yaqona, a beverage central to communal rituals, are treasured by Fijian society. A deep vessel like this would be used for serving this traditional drink - made by pounding the root of yaqona into a powder, mixing it with water, and then straining it - during welcoming ceremonies in which honored guests would be served a cup of yaqona.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, according to the consignor this piece was given by the King of Samoa to America Governor Stephenson in 1930’s
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#146136
Condition:
A 5" fissure and a 3" fissure to opposite sides of the rim. Expected losses to termini of feet commensurate with age and use. Otherwise the form is sound and the wood has developed a rich patina.
- LARGE 19TH C. POLYNESIAN TONGAN WOOD
LARGE 19TH C. POLYNESIAN TONGAN WOOD PADDLE CLUBOceania, Polynesia, probably Tonga, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. An attractive, hand-carved wooden ceremonial club known as an 'akau tau, presenting in the shape of a canoe paddle. Boasting a natural, caramel-hued woodgrain, the fascinating club displays a narrow, conical handle that expands out to a thick, petaloid head with a prominent midrib down the center. The name 'akau tau from Tonga literally translates to "war stave," however the use of these beautiful paddles ranged from warfare and sport, to dancing and ceremonial, and markers of elite status. Size: 23.8" L x 5.3" W (60.5 cm x 13.5 cm)
Provenance: private Arlington, Virginia, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#167586
Condition:
Expected nicks, abrasions, and scratches, commensurate with age and use. A few stable surface fissures near handle and minor chips to peripheries of head. Loss to tip of head. Otherwise, excellent with nice patina.
- 19TH C. TONGAN WOVEN TOHI HOHOKO GENEALOGY
19TH C. TONGAN WOVEN TOHI HOHOKO GENEALOGY ROPEPolynesia, Tonga, ca. 19th century CE. An incredibly rare example of a woven genealogy rope, known as a Tohi Hohoko (literally, "genealogy book"), both an exquisite piece of hand made art and an important anthropological artifact. Sennit fiber - from the coconut tree - is braided into a thick, strong rope that ends in a long loop before doubling back on itself. The doubled portions are held in place a horizontal band, also of woven sennit, and then splits into four below that; further bands are below that one, each a masterpiece of weaving skill. Total length is approximately: 72" L (182.9 cm); size of display box: 3.75" L x 12.9" W x 56" H (9.5 cm x 32.8 cm x 142.2 cm)
Genealogies are incredibly important in Tongan society. In the pre-Christian era, they were part of shamanic lore, and set the basis for land use, social status, and family wealth. Ropes like this one allowed people to demonstrate their genealogy quickly and portably. This method died out in the 19th century, as Christian missionaries attempted to write down Tongan genealogies to exert control over the island society.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Aguttes Paris, France, April 2017, lot 487
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#154539
Condition:
Excellent condition with very slight fraying. Accompanied by a protective display box.
- 19TH C. TONGAN WOOD & WHALE IVORY KALI
19TH C. TONGAN WOOD & WHALE IVORY KALI HAHAPO HEADRESTOceania, Polynesia, Tonga, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A lovely hand carved wooden and whale tooth inlay headrest known as a kali heap or a kali lei supported by bowed legs. The wood is a deep brown hue with lovely graining throughout, and the slightly curved resting platform is inlaid with creamy white ivory inlays made from sperm whale teeth- a special animal. These headrests were used for restful sleep rather than protecting hairstyles, like in some other cultures. "Kali" means headrest or wooden pillow, while "hahapo" refers to the shape- a single piece of wood with two legs, and "lei" means whale tooth. They were a popular ceremonial gift at weddings and there are several types of these pillows - some are long enough to accommodate multiple sleepers, and others are for funerary purposes. Whale teeth came from carcasses washed up on beaches, not a common occurrence, and thus their teeth were scarce and valued. A headrest made with whale ivory was certainly a luxury item! Size: 14.375" L x 3.5" W x 4.75" H (36.5 cm x 8.9 cm x 12.1 cm)
For a similar example please see the Bowers Museum website, object number: 2019.22.17.
This is an ESA antique exempt piece of ivory and cannot be sold internationally or to anyone residing in the states of California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington. We guarantee that the piece was made prior to 1972.
Provenance: private San Francisco, California, USA collection, acquired 1970s to 2000s
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#170444
Condition:
Repaired, one leg reattached with visible hairline fissure encircling the center. Some minor nicks, but otherwise very good with rich patina. Tooth inlays are intact.
- 20TH C. POLYNESIAN TONGAN RUBBING STAMP
20TH C. POLYNESIAN TONGAN RUBBING STAMP / KUPESI**Originally Listed At $800**
Oceania, Polynesia, Tonga, ca. 20th century CE. A rare example of a rubbing stamp known as a kupesi, used as a template for creating patterns on traditional tapa backcloth. The kupesi is constructed from a square of pandanus or coconut sheath, that is then laminated to a tapa cloth back, the stamp face has raised twigs (coconut midribs) wrapped in thin coconut fiber strands, the twigs are then sewn to the mat. The coiled coconut around the twigs adds texture and contrast when the ink is applied. To make patterns with a kupesi, this template is placed under the cloth, ink is applied on top of the tapa cloth and rubbed into the fibers. To just make the stencil must have been a painstaking process, not to mention the work that went into processing the tapa cloth that the back plate is covered in, and the tapa textile the stamp would have been used on! Size: 12" L x 11" W (30.5 cm x 27.9 cm)
According to the curatorial staff at Harvard University's Peabody Museum: "For hundreds of years, tapa making was one of the most sophisticated plant-fiber technologies in the Pacific Islands. In the eighteenth century and before, tapa served as both daily and ceremonial clothing. It was made into headdresses, turbans, loincloths, sashes, girdles, skirts, and ponchos. The cloth was used for bedcovers, wall dividers, or mosquito curtains as well as for special wrappings of staff gods, for the outer layer of sculptures, for wrapping skulls, and for masks. Individuals were surrounded by tapa at birth, weddings, and death. Special cloths were made for dowries, diplomatic gifts, and treaty agreements. Large-scale accumulation of tapa signified wealth and aided in achieving status. It was also used to pay tribute. Barkcloth material, partially processed or as undecorated sheets, was an important trade item and was exchanged for plaited mats, adzes, whale teeth, and sandalwood. Eventually, the increased availability of woven cotton cloth made in Asia and Europe led to a significant decline of hand-produced tapa, altered its use, and encouraged further changes in the ways in which tapa was decorated."
Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#160980
Condition:
Some fraying and loosening to coiled coconut fiber strands. Overall great condition and a rare tool.
- FOUR CHINESE GREENWARE TRADE CERAMICS
FOUR CHINESE GREENWARE TRADE CERAMICS Four Chinese Tongan type Juko greenware recovered shipwreck cargo bowls, heavily potted and glazed in transparent celadon, bottom 1" and foot remain unglazed, the interiors having incised floral decoration and the exteriors with linear incising, apparently retrieved from a Philippine shipwreck, one bowl retaining a label from the National Museum of the Philippines. Approximate dimensions: h. 2.75", dia. 6.25".
- CARVED WOOD TONGAN GODDESS FIGURECarved
CARVED WOOD TONGAN GODDESS FIGURECarved Wood Tongan Goddess Figure, possibly deity Hikule'o, h. 19 in.; on wood base, h. 21 in.