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THBNew Ireland Wood Malagan Totok Figure w/ Shell Eyes
Lot 1a
About Seller
Artemis Fine Arts
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:
$1,200 - $1,800
Starting Bid
$600
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Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $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 Fine Arts
Aug 22, 2025
Set Reminder
2025-08-22 10:00:00
2025-08-22 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Indigenous Art - Ralph T. Coe Center, Santa Fe, NM
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/indigenous-art---ralph-t-coe-center-santa-fe-nm-20324
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
View Full Catalog (452)
- Lot Description
Oceania, Melanesia, Papua New Guinea, New Ireland, Tabar Island, ca. early 20th century CE. Rising in a tall, commanding form, this totok Malagan figure from the Tabar Islands of New Ireland presents a masterwork of ceremonial carving. Fashioned from wood and adorned with red, black, and white pigments, the figure's inlaid shell eyes convey a penetrating, spiritual presence. The composition features an ancestral figure gripping long spears, framed within an intricate openwork structure and crowned by a high, crested headdress. Malagan sculptures were created for elaborate funerary rites that honored and released the spirits of the dead while affirming clan identity and transmitting land and ritual rights. More than simple likenesses, they were "skins" embodying the life force of the deceased. Each design was intellectual property of the clan, guarded closely and reproduced only with rightful permission. Size: 6" W x 30.8" H (15.2 cm x 78.2 cm); 31.6" H (80.3 cm) on included custom stand.
Displayed only once during the final Malagan rites, these carvings were traditionally destroyed, left to decay, or sold after their ceremonial use. This figure stands as a rare survivor of one of Oceania's most intricate ceremonial art forms - its layered symbolism and visual complexity serving as a testament to the artistry and cultural richness of New Ireland's Malagan tradition.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA; ex-James Economos Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA; originally obtained by the Swedish owner Cal Wilhelm Oberg of a copra plantation on the island of Tabar between 1920 to 1932, was brought back to Sweden after 1932
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.
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#196404Old repairs in areas with adhesive and break lines visible; repainting over some break lines. Chipping with losses to some spikes, as well as a few stable fissures and abrasions to surface. Nice remaining pigments with scattered patina. Great overall presentation and good detail.Condition
- Shipping Info
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