NOV e MB e R issue
WHO We aRe
The Tribal Art Society features an online catalogue every month listing quality works of Asian art that have been thoroughly vetted by our select members, who are the in-house experts.
By bringing together a group of trusted dealers specializing in Tribal art, our platform offers a unique collection of works of art that collectors will not find anywhere else online. To ensure the highest standards, gallery membership is by invitation only and determined by a selection committee.
Cover image: detail of a Fang head. Presented by Julien Flak on p. 44 /TribalArtSociety
NOV e MB e R a R t WORK s
Pieces are published and changed each month. The objects are presented with a full description and corresponding dealer’s contact information. Unlike auction sites or other platforms, we empower collectors to interact directly with the member dealers for enquiries and purchases by clicking on the e-mail adress.
In order to guarantee the quality of pieces available in the catalogues, objects are systematically validated by all our select mebers, who are the inhouse experts. Collectors are therefore encouraged to decide and buy with complete confidence. In addition to this, the Tribal Art Society proposes a seven-day full money back return policy should the buyer not feel totally satisfied with a purchase.
Feel free to ask the price if the artwork is listed with a price on request.
a RC ti C DO ll
Janus figure / shamanic doll
Yup’ik, Eskimo
Kuskokwim River, Alaska
Mid-19th century
Carved wood and metal
Height: 15 cm
Provenance:
Dan & Martha Albrecht, Scottsdale, USA
Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
Donald Ellis Gallery, inv. E4276, Toronto, Canada
Private collection, Paris, France
David Utzon-Frank, Copenhagen, Denmark
tas exclusive price: 8.000 euros
Isn’t she a doll?
Arctic wooden dolls exhibit an astonishing array of variety, serving multiple purposes: they represent absent villagers during festivals, ward off infertility, act as toys, or concentrate the attention of animal inua (spirits) to bless future hunting and fishing expeditions.
This particular carving is typical of the Kuskokwim River region (Yup’ik Eskimo people, Alaska). It showcases a strikingly expressive face with inlaid eyes and a torso rendered with subtle simplicity. Uniquely, this doll features a secondary, more rudimentary face carved into its back.
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y:
Julien Flak
M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36
E.: contact@galerieflak.com
W.: www.galerieflak.com
02
as M at s H iel D
Shield
Asmat
Irian Jaya, Indonesian New Guinea, Melanesia
Wood (giant buttress roots of the Mangrove tree) with traditional red, white, and black pigments with various gaps, native repairs and a patina of wear of age and use 168 cm x 43 cm
Provenance: Asher Eskenasy, Paris
David Rosenthal Exhibition:
The Black Islands. Galerie Le Gall-Peyroulet, Paris, 24/11/198815/01/1989
Ref.: Konrad, Gunter & Ursula & Schneebaum, Tobias: ASMAT. Friedhelm Brückner, Glashütten. 1981. Schneebaum, Tobias: ASMAT IMAGES. Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress. 1985. Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Anthony J.P. Meyer
T.: +33 (0) 6 80 10 80 22 E.: ajpmeyer@gmail.com W.: www.meyeroceanic.art
A very fine war-shield decorated with stylized geometrical shapes forming three registers of elongated double concentric circles. The decor is carved in champ levé with raised borders surrounding the fields of color. The reverse is plain with a raised structural reinforcement rib extending the entire length of the shield above and below the salient handle.
Ba KON g O WH istle
Whistle Bakongo
D.R.of Congo
Wood, horn
Height: 16,5 cm
Provenance:
Collected before the 1st world war
Price: 1.400 euros
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Renaud Vanuxem
T.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr W.: www.renaudvanuxem.com
Ba M a Na P ulley
Heddle pulley
Bamana Mali
Early 20th century
Wood and metal
Height: 16 cm
Provenance:
Private collection, United Kingdom
Price: 2.500 euros
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y:
David Serra
T.: +34 (0) 667525597
E.: galeria@davidserra.es
W.: www.davidserra.es
B ON g O PO st
Commemorative post
Bongo Sudan
Early 20th century or before Wood Height: 96 cm
Provenance: Private collection, Spain Price: 4.000 euros
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y:
David Serra
T.: +34 (0) 667525597
E.: galeria@davidserra.es
W.: www.davidserra.es
C a C i Q ue
Figure Quimbaya Colombia
800/1000 AD
Beige terracotta (Broken-glued)
Height: 21,5 cm
Price: 900 euros
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y:
Laurent Dodier
M.: + 33 6 08 22 68 15
E.: laurentdodier@wanadoo.fr W.: www.laurentdodier.com
Representation of a seated dignitary, hands placed on his knees. He wears a tumbaga nariguera. (Alloy of copper and gold).
Daya K Pig sti CK
Tun Tun Dayak Borneo Hard wood
50,8 cm x 2,85 cm x 4,13 cm
Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Thomas Murray M.: + 1 415.378.0716 E.: thomas@tmurrayarts.com
W.: www.tmurrayarts.com
This magnificent Tun Tun Babi pig trap charm exudes power and strength of character. Its bold design features an imposing head, long neck, and intelligent eyes, all beautifully balanced with a fine, elegant carving. The charm remains in excellent condition, with its original patina intact, adding to its historical allure. Intricate details throughout, including the finely carved stick, showcase the craftsmanship and careful attention given to every aspect of this remarkable piece.
Daya K Pig sti CK
Tun Tun babi Dayak Borneo Hard wood
55,8 cm x 1,905 cm x 2,85 cm, 1,905 cm (figure)
Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Thomas Murray
M.: + 1 415.378.0716 E.: thomas@tmurrayarts.com W.: www.tmurrayarts.com
This classic Tun Tun Babi pig trap charm stands out with its elegant architectural lines and refined features. The deep, rich patina adds to its timeless beauty, while the original fetish cloth inside remains intact, preserving its authenticity.
Daya K sti CK
Pig stick Dayak Borneo
19th century Hard wood
Height: 10,8 cm (figure)
Provenance: James Willis
Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y:
Thomas Murray
M.: + 1 415.378.0716
E.: thomas@tmurrayarts.com
W.: www.tmurrayarts.com
This large, captivating sculpture stands out for its remarkable style, patina, and woodwork, still containing traces of its original cloth charm. It was collected by the well-known tribal dealer, the late James Willis, on his only trip to Sarawak in 1979. Large pigstick figures like this are highly prized and increasingly rare. The sculpture’s detailed features include a well-defined spine running down the back, a long neck, and a big, brooding head.
Fa N g Ha RP
Ngombi (Harp)
Fang Gabon
19th century Length: 65 cm
Provenance: German collection Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Adam Prout
T.: + 44 7725 689 801 E.: adam@adamprout.com W.: www.adamprout.com
One of the most revered instruments used by followers of Bwiti, a 20th-century religious movement that blends indigenous ceremonial customs with Western Christianity, is the harp, or ngombi. The harp is a means of communication between the living and the dead and is symbolic of Nyingwan Mbege, also known as the Sister of God. An older male initiate known as Beti Ngombi, who is regarded as pure of heart and mind and who is essentially “married” to Nyingwam Mbege, plays it during every Bwiti ritual. Missing its neck which would have originally tensioned the strings.
Fa N g H ea D
Harp head
Fang Gabon
Late 19th century
Carved wood and metal
Height: 35,5 cm
Provenance:
Sotheby’s London, 28-30 nov. 1983, lot 185
Merton Simpson (1928-2013), New York
Seymour Lazar, Palm Springs, USA
Publication:
FAB Paris, 2023
Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y:
Julien Flak
M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36
E.: contact@galerieflak.com
W.: www.galerieflak.com
This highly expressive carved head was originally affixed to the upper part of a ritual musical instrument, the arched harp known as ñgomi among the Fang people of Gabon.
Erich M. von Hornbostel notes in “Fang” (Musée Dapper, 1997) that music played a very important role in the life of the Fang. Musical instruments were played to provide the rhythm and underpin the melody of ritual or secular choral songs. Solo or choral songs were accompanied by the flute and the harp. This typology of harp descends from an instrument already known in the time of ancient Egypt.
According to Louis Perrois, all the significant activities of customary life among the Fang had to be conducted under the aegis of the ancestors. This explains why many carved objects were adorned with the face of an ancestor, which was the customary mark of lineage chiefs.
The head finial on a ñgomi harp was a reminder that the melody played on the instrument's strings was the « voice » facilitating contact with the world of the spirits and the deceased.
Heiltsu K sti CK
Top of a speaking Stick
Heiltsuk or Nuxalk (Bela Bela) British Columbia, Canada Circa 1880
Wood painted with red, black, blue and white pigments
Height: 53 cm
Provenance: Jack Curtright, Tacoma Morningstar Gallery, Santa Fe, USA.
Donald Ellis Gallery Dundas Ontario
Label: Donald Ellis Gallery Dundas Ontario #CN3849.
Price: 9.500 euros
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y:
Laurent Dodier
M.: + 33 6 08 22 68 15
E.: laurentdodier@wanadoo.fr W.: www.laurentdodier.com
It represents a standing shaman wearing a bear mask topped with an eagle resting on his head. The shaman's arms are bent at the elbows, hands pointing toward the bear's jaws.
A lovely Ibeji with a double pointed open coiffure, facial scarifications, eye lashes and inset wood pupils, wearing brass and glass bead bands.
iB eji F igu R e
Figure Yoruba Nigeria
Height: 25 cm
Provenance:
Zbyszek Plocki collection, London
Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Adam Prout
T.: + 44 7725 689 801 E.: adam@adamprout.com W.: www.adamprout.com
iBeji FiguRe
Ere Ibeji twin figure
Carved by Yoruba master carver Akiode (1875-1936), son of Eshubiyi.
Abeokuta style
Yoruba Nigeria
Early 20th century
Carved wood
Height: 25 cm
Provenance:
Ernest Ohly, Berkeley Galleries, London, 1961
Peter & Veena Schnell, Zurich, 19612004
Sotheby’s Paris, 15 June 2004, lot 49 tas exclusive price: 3.500 euros
Subject to very codified and daily rituals among the Yoruba, carved twin figures were pampered, with their care including feeding, washing and oiling. Ere Ibeji were considered to be living beings. Representations always showed them at the peak of their strength and power in adulthood.
The distinctive style of the figure shown here is noteworthy, and can be attributed to a Yoruba artist from the Egba region (Abeokuta) region: Akiode (1875-1936), son of Yoruba « Master Hand » Eshubiyi.
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y:
Julien Flak
M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36
E.: contact@galerieflak.com
W.: www.galerieflak.com
Ku M u M as K
Mask Kumu
D.R. of Congo
Wood Height: 27 cm
Provenance:
Private french collection Price: 2800 euros
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Joaquin Pecci
T.: + 32 477 43 94 12 E.: joaquin.pecci@skynet.be W.: www.joaquinpecci.net
K W e R e M as K
Mask
Kwere Tanzania Wood Height: 36 cm
Provenance: Franco Monti Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Joaquin Pecci
T.: + 32 477 43 94 12 E.: joaquin.pecci@skynet.be W.: www.joaquinpecci.net
lu B a M as K
Kifwebe mask
Luba
Congo Kinshasa/Southeastern Congo, D.R. of the Congo
Wood and pigments
Height: 42 cm
Provenance:
James Stephenson, NYC
Lee Bronson, Los Angeles
Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Mark Eglinton
M.: +1 646-675-7150
E.: markeglinton@icloud.com
IG.: @markeglintontribalart
lu B a M as K
Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe mask Luba
Congo Kinshasa/Southeastern Congo, D.R. of the Congo
Wood and pigments
Height: 40 cm
Provenance: Private collection, USA
2RRitual gallery, Brussels
Roger Bourahimou, Brussels (2007)
Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y:
Mark Eglinton
M.: +1 646-675-7150
E.: markeglinton@icloud.com
IG.: @markeglintontribalart
Mende M ask
Sande Mask
Mende Sierra Leone
Early 20th century
Wood Height: 39 cm
Provenance: Private collection, France. (acquired late 1960)
Price: 3.500 euros
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y:
David Serra
T.: +34 (0) 667525597
E.: galeria@davidserra.es
W.: www.davidserra.es
Me ND e B Oa RD
A boat shaped mancala board with each cavity beautifully lined with worked copper Mende Sierra Leone Circa 1900
58 cm x 15 cm x 7 cm Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Adam Prout
T.: + 44 7725 689 801 E.: adam@adamprout.com W.: www.adamprout.com
N K isi
Standing male figure Kongo
D.R. of the Congo Wood, brass, glass and pigments
Height: 13,6 cm
Provenance:
Private collection, New England Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Mark Eglinton
M.: +1 646-675-7150
E.: markeglinton@icloud.com
IG.: @markeglintontribalart
Plai N s iND ia N s
Calu M et
Calumet Pipe Plains, U.S.A.
Circa 1880s or earlier
Bowl: Carved stone (catlinite), inlaid metal
Pipe: Wood, quill, horsehair and hide
Length: 72,5 cm
Provenance:
Michel Zerolo, Paris
Inventory number on the bowl: 346 - (?) tas exclusive price: 7.500 euros
Among the Plains Indians, the most sacred object was the calumet pipe. Calumets were used in times of war and times of peace to ensure protection and success.
Smoking was a means of creating harmony with the spiritual elements, with the smoke symbolizing prayer, a gift or a request for assistance from the Great Spirit.
« Before talking of holy things, we prepare ourselves by offerings. One will fill his pipe and hand it to the other who will light it and offer it to the sky and earth. They will smoke together. Then they will be ready to talk. »
Mato-Kuwapi (Chased by Bears), a Santee-Yanktoni, Sioux warrior.
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y:
Julien Flak
M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36
E.: contact@galerieflak.com W.: www.galerieflak.com
Pu N u K H a ND le
Toggle or drag handle
Punuk
Punuk Islands, Saint Lawrence Island, Bering Strait, Alaska 600 – 900 A.D.
Mineralized walrus tusk (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
Height: 11,4 cm
Provenance:
Norman Hurst Gallery, Cambridge, Mass., 1998
Exhibition & Publication: Arctic Ivory - Two Thousand Years of Alaskan Eskimo Art and Artifacts, Norman Hurst Gallery, Cambridge, Mass., 1998, N° 17
Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y:
Anthony J.P. Meyer
T.: +33 (0) 6 80 10 80 22 E.: ajpmeyer@gmail.com W.: www.meyeroceanic.art
A superb toggle or drag handle carved in the form of a stylized whale. There are what appear to be a series of tally marks incised on the undecorated edge of the toggle. The individual ornamental design motifs do not relate to any formal representation of the whale-form yet when taken as an imbricated and total design they offer a subtle reading of the whales features : the concentric circle and dot at the head, the central concentric ovals and dot, the body and the sweeping motifs highlighted with dots at the extremity figuring the tail flukes.
Ra R e P u B i C COV e R
Queensland, Australia 19th century Shell and hair
Length: 15 cm (shell)
Width: 7,5 cm (shell)
Provenance: David Newman Fred North Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Adam Prout
T.: + 44 7725 689 801 E.: adam@adamprout.com W.: www.adamprout.com
se N ta N i C a N e PO u ND e R
Pounder
Dojo Village, North coast of Lake Sentani, Irian Jaya, Indonesian New Guinea, Melanesia
Hard wood (suan) and pigments with a fine patina of age and use
29 cm x 18 cm
Provenance:
Collected in the field at Dojo villages by Jacques Hoogerbrugge between 1956 and 1963. Hoogerbrugge collection number 602.
Jacques Hoogerbrugge collection (19232014)
Michel Thieme, Amsterdam (began selling Hoogerbrugge estate in 2015)
Oscar Van Werdenburg, Holland, 2022/24
Publication:
J. Hoogerbrugge 1967. Sentani Meer: Mythe en ornament / Lake Sentani: Myth and ornament. Kultuurpatronen: Bulletin Etnografisch Museum Delft 9, pp. 3-90. section 13, p. 79, ill. : ink drawing bottom left Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y:
Anthony J.P. Meyer
T.: +33 (0) 6 80 10 80 22 E.: ajpmeyer@gmail.com W.: www.meyeroceanic.art
A very fine small hammer called chatu in the local vernacular and which is used to tighten the cane binding on the wrappings of other types of objects. The hammer is carved overall with decorative “eye”, interlocking spirals and swirling motifs reminiscent of the movement of water (fouw). The handle and “blade” are carved separately with the tapered terminal of the blade fitting into a lodging in the flattened handle. These “binder” hammers were used to hammer the bound length of cane as it was wrapped around the object in order to tighten the attachment. The shape is reminiscent of the larger sago hammers.
Metal and iron
Height: 52 cm
Provenance:
Old private Belgian collection Price: 1.200 euros
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y:
Joaquin Pecci
T.: + 32 477 43 94 12
E.: joaquin.pecci@skynet.be W.: www.joaquinpecci.net
t s ON ga/Zulu s ta FF
A Rare and Extremely Fine South African Tsonga Prestige Staff by the ‘Baboon Master’ Tsonga/Zulu South Africa
Late 19th century
Superb silky reddish brown patina
Height: 104 cm
Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Finch & Co
www.finch-and-co.co.uk
E.: enquiries@finch-and-co.co.uk
T.: +44 (0)7768 236921
uR a M a GOP e
Three Papua ‘Gope’ spirit boards Urama
New Guinea, Papua Gulf
Late 19th–early 20th century 114 cm (h.) x 27 cm (w.)
Provenance:
Collected by German biologist and cinematographer Thomas SchulzeWestrum in circa 1959
Sammlung Rinck-Hollnberger, Munich (purchased the 1980s-1990s)
Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Zebregs&Röell
+31 6 207 43671
dickie@zebregsroell.com www.zebregsroell.com
Z OMBO F eti CH e
Figure Zombo
D.R.of Congo
Wood Height: 58 cm
Provenance:
Old private Belgian collection Price on request
O B je C t P R ese N te D B y: Joaquin Pecci
T.: + 32 477 43 94 12 E.: joaquin.pecci@skynet.be W.: www.joaquinpecci.net
