A COMPOSITE WARRIOR'S CHARM, KARAHUT, ABELAM CULTURE, PRINCE ALEXANDER MOUNTAINS, 19TH-20TH CENTURY
A COMPOSITE WARRIOR'S CHARM, KARAHUT, ABELAM CULTURE, PRINCE ALEXANDER MOUNTAINS, 19TH-20TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
Papua New Guinea. Finely composed in the form of a small ancestral spirit figure woven from bark twine and sennit fiber, decorated with boar's tusks, small Nasa shells, and applied ochre, blue, and yellow paints.
Provenance: Lauritz, Copenhagen, Denmark, by repute in 2002. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for around 24 years.
Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.
Important Note: For essential information on the
Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger
Condition: Very good condition with expected wear associated with age and use. Small losses to the horn and shells, rubbing and flaking to pigment. The lower section of the left leg repaired, possibly inherent to manufacturing.
Weight: 141.8 g
Dimensions: Height 32.5 cm
Karahut Ornaments are very important ceremonial objects used by the Abelam People during traditional ceremonies and initiations. These were sometimes held in the mouth during ceremonies and at other times worn on the back of the Abelam dancers. For the Abelam, the importance lies in the bright polychrome paints applied to their surfaces as the paint is a magical substance that endows the figures with supernatural power and beauty.
The complex male initiation cycle of the Abelam people is restricted to men. The Ceremonial Houses are decorated with carvings of spirit figures and totemic animals, These artworks were attached outside the entrance to the large ceremonial houses and also the entrances to the interior passages and into the initiation chamber. Inside the initiation chamber, with its brilliantly coloured paintings and carvings representing the clan spirits (nggwalndu) and other supernatural beings is revealed. Carved Figures are repainted many times, it likely witnessed the transformation of generations of novices into initiated men.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related karahut charm, Abelam culture, Maprik region, Papua New Guinea, dated to the 20th century, in the Musée des Arts Premiers, Paris. Compare a closely related warrior's charm (karahut), Abelam people, dated to the early to mid-20th century, 27.94 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1994.387.2.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 12 November 2014, lot 203
Mid-Estimate: USD 2,500 or approx.
EUR 3,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Abelam Pectoral Ornament, Middle Sepik River, Papua New Guinea
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and craftsmanship. Note the size (40.6 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
A COMPOSITE WARRIOR'S CHARM, KARAHUT, ABELAM CULTURE, PRINCE ALEXANDER MOUNTAINS, 19TH-20TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
Papua New Guinea. Finely composed in the form of a small ancestral spirit figure woven from bark twine and sennit fiber, decorated with boar's tusks, small Nasa shells, and applied ochre, blue, and yellow paints.
Provenance: Lauritz, Copenhagen, Denmark, by repute in 2002. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for around 24 years.
Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.
Important Note: For essential information on the
Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger
Condition: Very good condition with expected wear associated with age and use. Small losses to the horn and shells, rubbing and flaking to pigment. The lower section of the left leg repaired, possibly inherent to manufacturing.
Weight: 141.8 g
Dimensions: Height 32.5 cm
Karahut Ornaments are very important ceremonial objects used by the Abelam People during traditional ceremonies and initiations. These were sometimes held in the mouth during ceremonies and at other times worn on the back of the Abelam dancers. For the Abelam, the importance lies in the bright polychrome paints applied to their surfaces as the paint is a magical substance that endows the figures with supernatural power and beauty.
The complex male initiation cycle of the Abelam people is restricted to men. The Ceremonial Houses are decorated with carvings of spirit figures and totemic animals, These artworks were attached outside the entrance to the large ceremonial houses and also the entrances to the interior passages and into the initiation chamber. Inside the initiation chamber, with its brilliantly coloured paintings and carvings representing the clan spirits (nggwalndu) and other supernatural beings is revealed. Carved Figures are repainted many times, it likely witnessed the transformation of generations of novices into initiated men.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related karahut charm, Abelam culture, Maprik region, Papua New Guinea, dated to the 20th century, in the Musée des Arts Premiers, Paris. Compare a closely related warrior's charm (karahut), Abelam people, dated to the early to mid-20th century, 27.94 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1994.387.2.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 12 November 2014, lot 203
Mid-Estimate: USD 2,500 or approx.
EUR 3,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Abelam Pectoral Ornament, Middle Sepik River, Papua New Guinea
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and craftsmanship. Note the size (40.6 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
