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May 05, 10:00AM EDT

American Indian & Ethnographic Art

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  • Jamacoaque Terra-cotta Standing Shaman
    Estimate
    $800 - $1,200
    Lot 1

    Jamacoaque Terra-cotta Standing Shaman

    Est.
    $800 - $1,200
  • Small Olmec Crawling Infant
    Estimate
    $1,500 - $2,000
    Lot 2

    Small Olmec Crawling Infant

    Est.
    $1,500 - $2,000
  • Teotihuacan Polychrome Bowl
    Estimate
    $1,200 - $1,500
    Lot 3

    Teotihuacan Polychrome Bowl

    Est.
    $1,200 - $1,500
  • Standing Colima Dog,
    Estimate
    $1,200 - $1,800
    Lot 4

    Standing Colima Dog,

    Est.
    $1,200 - $1,800
  • Colima Dwarf Figure
    Estimate
    $2,000 - $3,000
    Lot 5

    Colima Dwarf Figure

    Est.
    $2,000 - $3,000
  • Colima Sitting Dog,
    Estimate
    $1,200 - $1,800
    Lot 6

    Colima Sitting Dog,

    Est.
    $1,200 - $1,800
  • Nayarit Standing Couple
    Estimate
    $4,500 - $6,500
    Lot 7

    Nayarit Standing Couple

    Est.
    $4,500 - $6,500
  • Large Veracruz Terra-cotta Figure
    Estimate
    $4,500 - $6,500
    Lot 8

    Large Veracruz Terra-cotta Figure

    Est.
    $4,500 - $6,500
  • Standing Veracruz Priest Figure
    Estimate
    $2,500 - $4,500
    Lot 9

    Standing Veracruz Priest Figure

    Est.
    $2,500 - $4,500
  • Middle Mochica Drummer Vessel
    Estimate
    $800 - $1,200
    Lot 10

    Middle Mochica Drummer Vessel

    Est.
    $800 - $1,200
  • Salinar-Moche Portrait Vessel
    Estimate
    $800 - $1,200
    Lot 11

    Salinar-Moche Portrait Vessel

    Est.
    $800 - $1,200
  • Jalisco Standing Female Figure
    Estimate
    $1,500 - $3,000
    Lot 12

    Jalisco Standing Female Figure

    Est.
    $1,500 - $3,000
  • Large Jalisco Seated Female Figure
    Estimate
    $4,000 - $7,000
    Lot 13

    Large Jalisco Seated Female Figure

    Est.
    $4,000 - $7,000
  • Jalisco Seated Male Figure
    Estimate
    $1,200 - $2,400
    Lot 14

    Jalisco Seated Male Figure

    Est.
    $1,200 - $2,400
  • Rare Mayan Square Glazed Vessel
    Estimate
    $2,000 - $3,000
    Lot 15

    Rare Mayan Square Glazed Vessel

    Est.
    $2,000 - $3,000
  • Wari Wooden Lime Container,
    Estimate
    $2,500 - $3,500
    Lot 17

    Wari Wooden Lime Container,

    Est.
    $2,500 - $3,500
  • Ancestor Mask
    Estimate
    $800 - $1,200
    Lot 18

    Ancestor Mask

    Est.
    $800 - $1,200
  • Betel Nut Mortar,
    Estimate
    $800 - $1,200
    Lot 19

    Betel Nut Mortar,

    Est.
    $800 - $1,200
  • Massim Wood Figure,
    Estimate
    $800 - $1,200
    Lot 20

    Massim Wood Figure,

    Est.
    $800 - $1,200
  • Coastal Ramu River Dance Mask
    Estimate
    $2,000 - $3,000
    Lot 21

    Coastal Ramu River Dance Mask

    Est.
    $2,000 - $3,000
  • Washkuk Wood Cult Figure,
    Estimate
    $1,800 - $2,400
    Lot 22

    Washkuk Wood Cult Figure,

    Est.
    $1,800 - $2,400
  • Hardwood Ancestor Mask,
    Estimate
    $500 - $700
    Lot 23

    Hardwood Ancestor Mask,

    Est.
    $500 - $700
  • Washkuk Female Figure,
    Estimate
    $1,200 - $1,800
    Lot 24

    Washkuk Female Figure,

    Est.
    $1,200 - $1,800
  • Middle Sepik River Wood Flute Stopper
    Estimate
    $2,500 - $3,500
    Lot 25

    Middle Sepik River Wood Flute Stopper

    Est.
    $2,500 - $3,500
  • Lower Sepik River Spirit Figure
    Estimate
    $1,800 - $2,500
    Lot 26

    Lower Sepik River Spirit Figure

    Est.
    $1,800 - $2,500
  • Large Sepik River Ancestral Spirit Figure
    Estimate
    $2,500 - $3,500
    Lot 27

    Large Sepik River Ancestral Spirit Figure

    Est.
    $2,500 - $3,500
  • Southern Highlands Stone Axe
    Estimate
    $500 - $700
    Lot 28

    Southern Highlands Stone Axe

    Est.
    $500 - $700
  • Hardwood Simbai Shield,
    Estimate
    $2,000 - $3,000
    Lot 29

    Hardwood Simbai Shield,

    Est.
    $2,000 - $3,000
  • Banks Island Hardwood Food Pounder
    Estimate
    $1,800 - $2,500
    Lot 30

    Banks Island Hardwood Food Pounder

    Est.
    $1,800 - $2,500
  • Sago Wood Platter,
    Estimate
    $800 - $1,200
    Lot 31

    Sago Wood Platter,

    Est.
    $800 - $1,200
  • Painted Wood Board,
    Estimate
    $8,000 - $12,000
    Lot 32

    Painted Wood Board,

    Est.
    $8,000 - $12,000
  • New Caledonian Phallic Hardwood Club
    Estimate
    $600 - $900
    Lot 33

    New Caledonian Phallic Hardwood Club

    Est.
    $600 - $900
  • New Caledonian Hardwood Club
    Estimate
    $1,500 - $2,500
    Lot 34

    New Caledonian Hardwood Club

    Est.
    $1,500 - $2,500
  • Tongan Ironwood War Club, Apa Api
    Estimate
    $1,800 - $2,600
    Lot 35

    Tongan Ironwood War Club, Apa Api

    Est.
    $1,800 - $2,600
  • Fijian War Club,
    Estimate
    $2,000 - $3,000
    Lot 36

    Fijian War Club,

    Est.
    $2,000 - $3,000
  • Early 19th Century Tongan Club
    Estimate
    $1,000 - $1,600
    Lot 37

    Early 19th Century Tongan Club

    Est.
    $1,000 - $1,600
  • Fijian Ironwood Pole Club, Povai
    Estimate
    $2,000 - $3,000
    Lot 38

    Fijian Ironwood Pole Club, Povai

    Est.
    $2,000 - $3,000
  • Fijian Sali Club
    Estimate
    $2,000 - $3,000
    Lot 39

    Fijian Sali Club

    Est.
    $2,000 - $3,000
  • Fijian Hardwood Kava Bowl
    Estimate
    $1,800 - $2,600
    Lot 40

    Fijian Hardwood Kava Bowl

    Est.
    $1,800 - $2,600
  • Fijian Whale Tooth, Tabua
    Estimate
    $800 - $1,200
    Lot 41

    Fijian Whale Tooth, Tabua

    Est.
    $800 - $1,200
  • Fijian Ironwood War Club, Totokia
    Estimate
    $1,200 - $1,800
    Lot 42

    Fijian Ironwood War Club, Totokia

    Est.
    $1,200 - $1,800
  • Mangaia Island Adze Blade
    Estimate
    $1,200 - $1,800
    Lot 43

    Mangaia Island Adze Blade

    Est.
    $1,200 - $1,800
  • Large Hawaiian Turned Bowl
    Estimate
    $800 - $1,200
    Lot 44

    Large Hawaiian Turned Bowl

    Est.
    $800 - $1,200
  • Head of an Easter Island Moai Kavakava Figure
    Estimate
    $4,000 - $6,000
    Lot 45

    Head of an Easter Island Moai Kavakava Figure

    Est.
    $4,000 - $6,000
  • Australian Aborigine Boomerang
    Estimate
    $600 - $900
    Lot 46

    Australian Aborigine Boomerang

    Est.
    $600 - $900
  • Western Australian Wood Spear Thrower,
    Estimate
    $600 - $800
    Lot 47

    Western Australian Wood Spear Thrower,

    Est.
    $600 - $800
  • Aborigine Stone Churinga
    Estimate
    $1,200 - $1,800
    Lot 48

    Aborigine Stone Churinga

    Est.
    $1,200 - $1,800
  • Bardayal "Lofty" Nadjamerrek (Kunwinjku Aboriginal, c. 1926-2009) Bark Painting
    Estimate
    $2,000 - $3,000
    Lot 49

    Bardayal "Lofty" Nadjamerrek (Kunwinjku Aboriginal, c. ...

    Est.
    $2,000 - $3,000

Auction Description

American Indian & Ethnographic Art by Bonhams Skinner

Preview Times
May 3, 12PM-5PM
May 4, 12PM-7PM
May 5, 8AM -9:30AM

View the auction flyer

Our May American Indian & Ethnographic Art auction features three significant collections of African art, the Richard Newman collection of Akan goldweights, the Arnold Crane collection of African sculpture and metalwork, and the Mauricio Lasansky collection of African art which includes a significant group of Ivory Coast figures and masks; as well as an important Songye power figure from the Jean-Marie Biebuyck collection in Boston. The auction also features a wide range of American Indian art, from weavings, pottery, and baskets to beadwork from the Plains and Eastern Woodlands. Also on offer is a Chilkat robe from the Northwest Coast, and a number of interesting Eskimo artifacts from Alaska including an early Yup’ik seal gut parka.

Contact Us
americanindian@skinnerinc.com
508-970-3254

Read more
Bonhams Skinner
Boston, MA 02116
United States

bidsquare@bonhamsskinner.com

Phone:+1 6173505400

Buyer’s Premium

Start Premium (%)
$0 25.00

Bid Increments

Start Increments ($)
$0 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$3,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$30,000 $2,500
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
$300,000 $25,000
$500,000 $50,000
$1,000,000 $100,000

Shipping Info

Please visit http://www.skinnerinc.com/services/payment-and-shipping/ for information regarding the collection of items purchased at auction. 

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Terms & Conditions

1. Some of the lots in this sale are offered subject to a reserve. The reserve is a confidential minimum price agreed upon by the consignor and Skinner, Inc. below which the lot will not be sold. In most cases, the reserve will be set below the estimated range, but in no case will it exceed the estimates listed. A representative of Skinner, Inc. will execute such reserves by bidding for the consignor. In any event and whether or not a lot is subject to a reserve, the auctioneer may reject any bid or raise not commensurate with the value of such lot.

2. All property is sold “as is,” and neither the auctioneer nor any consignor makes any warranties or representation of any kind or nature with respect to the property, and in no event shall they be responsible for the correctness, nor deemed to have made any representation or warranty, of description, genuineness, authorship, attribution, provenance, period, culture, source, origin, or condition of the property and no statement made at the sale, or in the bill of sale, or invoice or elsewhere shall be deemed such a warranty of representation or an assumption of liability.

3. Except as provided in paragraph 1 above, the highest bidder as determined by the auctioneer shall be the purchaser. In the case of a disputed bid, the auctioneer shall have sole discretion in determining the purchaser and may also, at his or her election, withdraw the lot or reoffer the lot for sale. The auctioneer shall have sole discretion to refuse any bid, or refuse to acknowledge any bidder. Any bidder that plans on spending in excess of $100,000 should make arrangements with the accounting department at least five (5) days in advance of the sale, as a deposit may be required to participate.

4. All merchandise purchased must be paid for and removed from the premises the day of the auction. Skinner Inc. may impose, and the purchaser agrees to pay, a monthly interest charge of 1.5% of the purchase price of any lot or item lot not paid for within thirty-five (35) days of the date of sale. Skinner, Inc. shall have no liability for any damage or loss to property left on its premises for more than three (3) days from the date of sale. If any property has not been removed within three (3) days from the date of sale, at the option of Skinner, Inc. (a) Skinner Inc., may impose, and the purchaser agrees to pay, a monthly storage charge of 1.5% of the purchase price of any lot or portion of a lot not removed within the three days, and/or (b) Skinner Inc. may place the merchandise in a subsequent auction, without Reserve, to be sold to the highest bidder, and after deducting the standard commission and any additional charges that may apply, remit the proceeds to the purchaser.

5. Skinner accepts cash or check for payment. Personal checks will be acceptable only if credit has been established with Skinner, Inc. or if a bank authorization has been received guaranteeing a personal check. Skinner, Inc. reserves the right to hold merchandise purchased by personal check until the check has cleared the bank. The purchaser agrees to pay Skinner, Inc. a handling charge of $25.00 for any check dishonored by the drawee. Please contact Accounting for additional payment methods. Skinner does not accept payment by credit card for merchandise purchases.

6. If the purchaser breaches any of its obligations under these Conditions of Sale, including its obligation to pay in full the purchase price of all items for which it was the highest successful bidder, Skinner Inc. may exercise all of its rights and remedies under the law including, without limitation, (a) canceling the sale and applying any payments made by the purchaser to the damages caused by the purchaser’s breach, and/or (b) offering at public auction, without reserve, any lot or item for which the purchaser has breached any of its obligations, including its obligation to pay in full the purchase price, holding the purchaser liable for any deficiency plus all costs of sale.

7. In no event will the liability of Skinner, Inc. to any purchaser with respect to any item exceed the purchase price actually paid by such purchaser for such item.

8. Shipping is the responsibility of the purchaser. Upon request, our staff will provide the list of shippers who deliver to destinations within the United States and overseas. Some property that is sold at auction can be subject to laws governing export from the U.S., such as items that include material from some endangered species. Import restrictions from foreign countries are subject to these same governing laws. Granting of licensing for import or export of goods from local authorities is the sole responsibility of the buyer. Denial or delay of licensing will not constitute cancellation or delay in payment for the total purchase price of these lots.

9. All purchases are subject to the Massachusetts 6.25% sales tax unless the purchaser possesses a Massachusetts sales tax exemption number. Exemption numbers from other states are accepted in Massachusetts if presented with a business card or letterhead. Dealers, museums, and other qualifying parties can apply for a Massachusetts exemption number prior to the auction by contacting the Massachusetts Department of Corporations and Taxation at 100 Cambridge Street in Boston.

10. A premium equal to 23% of the final bid price up to and including $100,000, plus 20% of the final bid price from $100,001 up to and including $1,000,000, plus 12% of the final bid price from $1,000,001 and over will be applied to each lot sold, to be paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price.

11. Bidding on any item indicates your acceptance of these terms and all other terms printed within, posted, and announced at the time of sale whether bidding in person, through a representative, by phone, by Internet, or other absentee bid.

12. Skinner, Inc. and its consignors make no warranty or representation, express or implied, that the purchaser will acquire any copyright or reproduction rights to any lot sold. Skinner, Inc. expressly reserves the right to reproduce any image of the lots sold in this catalog. The copyright in all images, illustrations and written material produced by or for Skinner, Inc. relating to a lot, including the contents of this catalog, is, and shall remain at all times, the property of Skinner, Inc. and shall not be used by the purchaser, nor by anyone else, without our prior written consent.

13. These conditions of sale shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (excluding the laws applicable to conflicts or choice of law). The buyer/bidder agrees that any suit for the enforcement of this agreement may be brought, and any action against Skinner in connection with the transactions contemplated by this agreement shall be brought, in the courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any federal court sitting therein. The bidder/buyer consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts and waives objections that it may now or hereafter have to the venue of any such suit.

Revised January 8, 2014