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THBEarly 20th C. Asmat Ancestor Skull, Feathers & Beads
Lot 160
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
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$5,000 - $7,500
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| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
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| $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
Oct 8, 2020
Set Reminder
2020-10-08 10:00:00
2020-10-08 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-5796
Museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal,Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal,Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (353)
- Lot Description
Southeast Asia, Indonesia, western Irian Jaya / West Papua, Asmat people, ca. early 20th century CE. A decorated human skull without the lower jaw, with the eye, nose, and mouth cavities filled in with sap and earth. Imbedded in the eye sockets are brown and white beads, arranged in circles like eyes. A flat wooden ornament is inserted through the sap on the nose and three stripes of beads adorn that area. The mouth palate has beads pressed into that areas as well. Tied to cheek bones is a headdress comprised of a woven textile band embellished with an array of black feathers with green iridescence and small white and red beads. The skull itself has gained an incredibly rich patina from age and handling. Perhaps macabre to an outsider, this skull was a respected ancestor to a member of the Asmat tribe and decorated out of veneration. Size: 7.5" W x 6.5" H (19 cm x 16.5 cm)
The Asmat people of Papua lived a traditional lifestyle until the 1950s, although the Dutchman Jan Cartensz (1623) and the expedition of Captain Cook (1770) had very limited contact with them. Their reputation as headhunters and cannibals kept outsiders away from their land. Traditionally, the Asmat venerated their ancestors through art; this included turning their skulls into dramatically ornamented sculptures. They blocked the nasal passages and the eyes, as here, in order to prevent the invasion of evil spirits. They displayed skulls like this one in small shrines within their homes as part of their ancestor worship.
This item cannot be shipped to Georgia, Louisiana, or Tennessee. Please be advised that international shipping may have additional restrictions on some material. It is the customer's responsibility to be aware of their own local laws.
Provenance: private Handley collection, Pennsylvania, USA; ex-private Jude Webster collection, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; ex-private Colorado, USA collection, purchased in Papua New Guinea in the 1970s to early 1980s
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.
#147693Lower mandible and many teeth missing. Small pinhole on brow. Minor abrasions and nicks to skull surface and beads. Chip to wood nose piece. Light wear to feathers and great patina throughout!Condition
- Shipping Info
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All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.
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