Ramu River, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea

An attractive Ramu Kundu Drum. In beautiful elongated hour-glass form the walls carved extremely thin. The handle which exhibits plenty of wear is decorated in classic masked faces. Traces of natural pigment decoration visible; while the membrane is present allowing the drum to be played. Circa 1940′s, Weathered patina in excellent condition.

Height: 68 cm or 27 inches.
Price: Australian$1100.00

Erromango Island, New Hebrides / Vanuatu

A fine old New Herbirdes war club. Carved from solid dark reddish iron wood. The distal end nicely flared to the flat tip, while the handle is in classic Phallic form. I always get a giggle at the way so many Oceanic clubs have this Phallic handle, says something about us men and what we like to fight with. Circa mid to late 19th Century. Custom mounted; glossy patina in excellent condition.

Ex Richard Berry Collection, Melbourne.

Length: 94 cm or 37 inches.
Price: Australian$1700.00

Fergusson Island, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea

A fine Massim lime spatula. The flat rectangular handle highly decorated in classic incised curvilinear motif, framed by two bands of triangular motif on the top and bottom; while there are cut out holes on the top of the handle for shell and seed attachments. Remnant lime infill, and the tip is nicely betel stained. The interlocking scrolls on this spatula bear a striking similarity to those on a carving of a pig, found in Harry Berans book ‘Massim Tribal Art – Papua New Guinea’. – see fig 129 on pg 44. (Woolongong City Gallery, 1980.) We wonder then, whether this is a classic style of motif which can be attributed to Fergusson Island of the D’entrecasteaux group where we collected this piece.. Dark glossy handling patina; in excellent condition. Custom mounted. Early 20th Century

Height: 37.5 cm or 14.75 inches.
Price: Australian$850.00