New Guinea, tribe: Asmat: a relatively small shield from the southern coast of New Guinea, with typical Asmat relief on its front side.
New Guinea, tribe: Asmat: a relatively small shield from the southern coast of New Guinea, with typical Asmat relief on its front side.
A comparatively smaller Asmat shield called ‘jamasi'. Carved from the board-root of a mangrove tree. On its front side coloured black, red and white with earth pigments. The smooth black surface on top decorated with white dots. Underneath it, a beautiful, deeply carved and typical Asmat relief, showing two interconnected, corresponding volutes, mirrored above across a central axis. This motif could be symbolic of two items of the typical nose ornaments (or ‘bipane’) worn by the Asmat warriors in their pierced septum (‘bipane’ being volutes of a clam). The back of the shield is coloured black and previously possessed a hand grip. The hand grip is broken and substituted by a piece of small piece of carved wood fixed with nails. The shield exhibits only minor age-related damage (a small hole and lightly chipped edges). Otherwise a stylistically perfectly crafted Asmat object. Height: 138 cm; Width: 46 cm. Mid-20th century. (ME)
Provenance:
Austrian Private Collection.
Specialist: Erwin Melchardt
Erwin Melchardt
+43-1-515 60-465
erwin.melchardt@dorotheum.at
09.06.2016 - 17:00
- Starting bid:
-
EUR 600.-
New Guinea, tribe: Asmat: a relatively small shield from the southern coast of New Guinea, with typical Asmat relief on its front side.
A comparatively smaller Asmat shield called ‘jamasi'. Carved from the board-root of a mangrove tree. On its front side coloured black, red and white with earth pigments. The smooth black surface on top decorated with white dots. Underneath it, a beautiful, deeply carved and typical Asmat relief, showing two interconnected, corresponding volutes, mirrored above across a central axis. This motif could be symbolic of two items of the typical nose ornaments (or ‘bipane’) worn by the Asmat warriors in their pierced septum (‘bipane’ being volutes of a clam). The back of the shield is coloured black and previously possessed a hand grip. The hand grip is broken and substituted by a piece of small piece of carved wood fixed with nails. The shield exhibits only minor age-related damage (a small hole and lightly chipped edges). Otherwise a stylistically perfectly crafted Asmat object. Height: 138 cm; Width: 46 cm. Mid-20th century. (ME)
Provenance:
Austrian Private Collection.
Specialist: Erwin Melchardt
Erwin Melchardt
+43-1-515 60-465
erwin.melchardt@dorotheum.at
|
Buyers hotline
Mon.-Fri.: 10.00am - 5.00pm
kundendienst@dorotheum.at +43 1 515 60 200 |
| Auction: | Tribal Art - Africa |
| Auction type: | Saleroom auction |
| Date: | 09.06.2016 - 17:00 |
| Location: | Vienna | Palais Dorotheum |
| Exhibition: | 04.06. - 09.06.2016 |