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THBEarly 19th C. Tongan Wood War Club - 'Akau Tau
Lot 120
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$2,500 - $3,800
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| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Jan 7, 2021
Set Reminder
2021-01-07 10:00:00
2021-01-07 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-6258
Ancient art from Egypt, Greece, Italy and the Near East, as well as Asian, Fossils, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal / Oceanic, Fine art, and much more! All categories, all price ranges... all legally acquired and guaranteed to be as described or your money back. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Ancient art from Egypt, Greece, Italy and the Near East, as well as Asian, Fossils, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal / Oceanic, Fine art, and much more! All categories, all price ranges... all legally acquired and guaranteed to be as described or your money back. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (351)
- Lot Description
Oceania, Polynesia, Tonga, ca. early to mid-19th century CE. A sumptuous example of a hand-carved wooden war club known as an 'akau tau (literally "war stave") of an arch-necked design. The sturdy club presents with a petaloid blade head reminiscent of a paddle head with a lenticular profile, a transverse bar collar along the midsection, and a columnar handle that flares gently to form the butt end. Every inch of its surface is densely incised with intricate linear patterns including cascading diagonal lines, elongated zigzags, tightly oscillating zigzags, checkerboard patterns, and concentric rectangles. Lustrous patina of a beautiful chocolate-brown color has formed across the surfaces and within each incised striation to imbue the club with a gorgeous appearance. Size: 3.7" W x 35.9" H (9.4 cm x 91.2 cm); 38.125" H (96.8 cm) on included custom stand.
Cf. The British Museum, museum number Oc1979,Q.846
Cf. Mills, Andy. "'Akau tau: Contextualizing Tongan War Clubs." The Journal of the Polynesian Society, Polynesian Society (N.Z.), March 2009, 118(1):7-45.
Another example hammered for $7,500 at Christie's, New York "Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas including Property from the Estate of Ernst Beyeler" auction (sale 2661, May 10, 2012, lot 4).
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.
#135757Chips to blade tip and one corner of transverse collar, with very light encrustations within some incised striations, otherwise intact and excellent. Wonderful preservation of incised motifs and beautiful patina throughout. Old inventory label on one side of handle.Condition
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