19th C. Cook Islands Wood No'oanga (for Chief)

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Ancient & Ethnographic Art Through The Ages

By Artemis Gallery

Sep 16, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-09-16 10:00:00 2021-09-16 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Ancient & Ethnographic Art Through The Ages https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/ancient-ethnographic-art-through-the-ages-7473
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• Lot Description
  Polynesia, Cook Islands, ca. 19th century CE. A stunning, extremely rare example of a no'oanga, a curved stool masterfully carved by hand from a single piece of tropical hardwood. It stands on four paw-like feet, each with a short horizontal projection that faces outward along the horizontal axis. The curved surface, when viewed from above, reveals the beautiful concentric ovals of the wood grain. This item would have signified the power of the person who sat upon it, and stools like these frequently traveled around the islands and even further afield. Some even came to London along with their chiefs for meetings with Queen Victoria! Size: 17.5" L x 8" W x 6.35" H (44.4 cm x 20.3 cm x 16.1 cm)
  
  In an essay about the no'oanga in their collection, the curators at LACMA describe the ownership and manufacture of a stool like this one in relation to Cook Islands and other Polynesian systems of governance: "This cultural similarity extends into the hierarchal social strata common in Polynesia that strictly ranks the various powers of each social group, culminating in the ariki, or chief, group. The chiefly class held a certain degree of mana, or powerful life force, within the physical person, and this mana was imbued in the objects touched and used in daily life, particularly ceremonial objects. The tu’hunga, or craftsmen, who were under the patronage of the chiefs to make their ceremonial objects, were trusted with using and creating objects with powerful mana."
  
  See similar examples at LACMA (on view in the Art of the Pacific galleries, Ahmanson Building, Level 1) and the Minneapolis Institute of Art (2001.2.3).
  
  Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Abe Rosman collection, New York City, New York, USA, 2007
  
  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.
  
  #154514

  Condition

  Small losses from two of the corners and light wear commensurate with age including small scratches; otherwise in excellent condition with rich patina.
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