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The Todd Barlin Collection (Part Two) — Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers

Auction House:Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & ValuersNumber of lots recorded:326
Sale Title:The Todd Barlin Collection (Part Two)Lots with images:325
Auction Location:SydneyPrices available:244
Date:8-May-2016
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Two coastal Sepik figures, [2], one being a small hardwood food hook, finely carved in the form of a male ancestor with his hands raised above his head, together with another figure with carved hair ornaments used by men in the coastal Sepik and Schouten Islands areas. Provenance: Collected by Joseph Crogan in the 1960's. Crogan was an Australian Expatriate Economic Advisor to thePapua New Guinea Government. He was keen collector and travelled widely in New Guinea . Both on custom made stands / Todd Barlin…
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Two New Guinea ancestor figures, [2], one middle Sepik ancestor figure of great whimsical abstract form that is seen in early New Guinea figures, together with an early Massim figure of classical form with hands held up to the chin. Provenance: from the famous Australian Artist Nora Heysen (1911-2003), who was in New Guinea during World War I. She had a large collection of New Guinea artefacts in her Studio home where she lived since she was a child until her death in 2003. Both on custom made stands /…
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Two old Zoomorphic Neckrests, [2], Okapa District Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea . Provenance: Collected by Peter Hallinan (1938-2015) in the 1970's. Peter was a well-known and respected field collector of New Guinea Art. See attached photo of Peter Hallinan in Okapa C.1970's / Todd Barlin collection. 47 cm, 64 cm
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Gourd head, from Enga or Southern Highlands Province, this beautifully made and decorated display head was collected at the mount Hagen show in 1985. A similar example is in the Stan Moriarty collection at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, it was exhibited and published in the ground breaking exhibition and catalogue at the Art Gallery of New South Wales'Plumes && pearl shells, Art of the New Guinea Highlands in 2014'. Provenance: Collected by Todd Barlin at mount Hagen 1985. 62 x 50 cm
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Abelam lintel fragment (with two carved faces), a partial cult house lintel from an old Abelam cult house, collected in the Maprik area in the early 1970's. Provenance: Collected by the well known New Guinea field collector Barry Hoare in the 1970s / Todd Barlin collection. 99 x 38 cm
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Abelam lintel fragment (with three carved faces), a partial cult house lintel from an old Abelam cult house, collected in the Maprik area in the early 1970's. Provenance: Collected by the well known New Guinea field collector Barry Hoare in the 1970s / Todd Barlin collection. 142 x 38 cm
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Basket hook, coastal Sepik, basket hooks were carved with ancestor figures, hung from the inside of the house ceiling by a rope and then string bags with food were hung from the basket hooks, thus preventing rats or mice from being able to steal or spoil food. The traditional basket hook with central ancestor figure and four hooks has traces of red ochre, finely incised designs on the back of the figures shoulders and the base of the hook. Provenance: Todd Barlin collection. 43 cm
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A finely painted old & used Grade figure, Dixon Reef area, Malekula Island, Vanuatu, I bought the figure from Leo Fleischmann in 1986, Leo said Senta went on a cruise ship to Vanuatu and came back with a whole cabin full of carvings she bought in remote areas the ship visited.' Todd Barlin. Provenance: Collected by the late Senta Taft Hendry in the late 1960's or very early 1970's / Todd Barlin collection. 139 cm
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Two old West Papua Drums, [2], including a fine old Mimika drum with abstract figurative design from Utakwa village, together with an old Marind Anim drum from Slo village, upper Bian river area. Provenance: both collected by Todd Barlin 1985-86. 62 cm, 92 cm
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A boar's head carving, middle Sepik, early 20th century, this rare carving in the form of a fierce wild boar was collected in the 1940's, it was obviously used in the men's ceremonial house as it has a square lug at the back from where it was attached or hung to another ceremonial object. 'after asking many Sepik scholars I was told that it was most likely use was for funerary ceremonies for clan members whose totem is a wild boar, a fierce animal that is respected for its prowess.' Todd Barlin. Provenance…
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An Asmat Jiape funerary costume, Sawa village, NW Asmat area, West Papua, made by Desan for their deceased relative Momas who died in 1985. The Jipae Ceremony is preformed to release the spirits of the recently deceased so that their spirits can move on to the afterlife, each costume represents a known person. In the field photo you can see the Jipae and this costume in Sawa village (on the right). The ceremony lasted several months (the costumes make occasional appearances at the front of the special made…
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A fine Eastern Highlands figure with fine body ornaments & a feather headdress, for similar examples refer to the Stan Moriarty collection at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. His collection was exhibited in 'Plumes && pearl shells, Art of the New Guinea Highlands' 2014. Provenance: Collected by Peter Hallinan (1938-2015). Peter was a well-known and respected field collector of New Guinea Art / Todd Barlin collection. 111 cm
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Pay back doll Mendi Valley, Southern Highlands,Papua New Guinea, a finely made fibre doll that is old enough to have been used for ritual purposes. In older times if a person was killed by an enemy, the family of the slain person would make an effigy of them and decorate it with some of the deceased ornaments, the doll would be a reminder that revenge or payback was needed. Provenance: Collected by Peter Hallinan (1938-2015). Peter was a well-known and respected field collector of New Guinea Art. For…
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A fine New Britain mask,Papua New Guinea, of conical shape with elaborate feather headdress, designs painted in black on a white back ground, shell and fibre ear ornaments and wood a nose ornament. Provenance: Collected by Peter Hallinan (1938-2015). Peter was a well-known and respected field collector of New Guinea Art / Todd Barlin collection. 114 cm
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Splash board for a large Ocean Going canoe, Tami or Siassi Island, huon Gulf, Morobe Province,Papua New Guinea. Provenance: Collected by Peter Hallinan, 1982, on Tuam Island, Dampier Straits, Morobe Province, from the owner of the large ocean going canoe Aigilo, carved by his grandfather Awago in the very early 20th century / Todd Barlin collection. Peter (1938-2015) was a well-known and respected field collector of New Guinea Art. As you see from the historical photo this type of canoe Splash board was…
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Yina figure, Warsei area, upper Sepik,Papua New Guinea, the Warsei area's Yina ceremonial figures are slightly different from the more well-known Kwoma pieces. The face with the long nose is attached to the forehead, it includes rounded protruding eyes and a large protruding mouth painted in bright colours. Yina is the first of the yam harvest ceremonies. The head is greatly enlarged with a prominent nose, disembodied and with a long pointed shaft. The most striking feature of the face is the nose, a…
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Stone figure New Ireland, this powerful looking figure has a large hooked nose and two small figures coming off the sides of the head. There is also another small figure clasped to the stomach of the large figure, reminiscent of New Ireland Uli figures. Provenance: Edward Tull collection and Stan Moriarity collection. Edward Tull an Australian expatriate who lived in New Britain made a large collection of pieces from New Ireland & New Britain now much of which is in the University of Queensland…
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A large coastal Sepik ancestor figure, c. 1950's, a finely carved figure with exaggerated bird beak nose which is fully seen only in profile. The type of head ornament worn on this figure was the type men along the coastal Sepik area and Schouten Islands wore as hair pieces in the 19th and early 20th century. Their hair was pulled up through the decorated basketry ornament. You will see in the first photo that there is a crack in the base of this figure near the foot. It has been repaired by an expert…
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A small old Sepik Amulet figure, together with a ceremonial Sepik lime stick figural finial, [2]. Provenance: both were collected by Andy Kugler in 1967. Kugler was a geologist working in New Guinea who prepared a collection a of artefacts that were loaned to the Museum of Primitive Art in New York (Now the Rockefeller wing of Oceanic Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art). Kugler was a friend of Douglas Newton, former curator at the MET and Museum of Primitive Art and is mentioned several times in the…
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An early & fine Massim Sorcerers staff finial, late 19th century, carved from hardwood the finial has two finely carved full squatting figures back to back, the legs and arms all covered with incised spiral designs and infill lime decoration, below the figures is another 23 cm of incised designs, the staff was probably slightly longer another 20-30 cm and had been broken in the distant past. Provenance: Ex George Gray collection, he was one of the pioneering members of the Queensland Anthropological…
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Two finely carved Massim canoe wave Splitters, [2], both finely incised with stylised birds and other Massim designs (one has a small 10 cm repair). Provenance: David Baker collection. David Baker was serving President of the Oceanic Art Society until his death in 2009. He owned the New Guinea gallery in Sydney and travelled widely in the Pacific countries acquiring a significant Oceanic Art collection. Mr. Baker supplied Pacific Art works to many important collections and institutions including the…
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Three old Marapai charms, Papuan Gulf 19th century, [3], all finely incised with anthropomorphic faces and infill lime decoration. Provenance: James Tyrrell's Curios. Tyrrell was born in Sydney in 1875 and in 1888 started work for the Sydney bookshop Angus & Robertson. In 1905 he set up his own business and by the mid-1920s Tyrrell's was a well-known book and curiosity shop in Sydney. In 1923 Tyrrell acquired the establishment of 'Tost & Rohu', dealers in taxidermy and Pacific artefacts / Todd Barlin…
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A Sepik river figure, weathered patina and cowries shell eyes. Provenance: Dr Peter Elliot collection Sydney (1927 - 2014) / Todd Barlin collection. 80 cm
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An early Massim figure, early 20th century, finely carved from heavy and hardwood, this figure is possible a fragment off a large stool. Provenance: from the famous Australian Artist Nora Heysen (1911-2003), she was in New Guinea during World War I. She had a large collection of New Guinea artefacts in her Studio home where she lived since she was a child until her death in 2003 / Todd Barlin collection. 45 cm
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A fine early Aboriginal string bag, together with a hair pin finely incised, [2]. Provenance: Lord Alistair McAlpine (1942-2014) was a British businessman, politician and author who was an advisor to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He was a lifetime collector in many fields including Aboriginal Art. He was an early collector of the American painter mark Rothko and could easily see the sophisticated aesthetics of Aboriginal Art and Artifacts. Provenance: Todd Barlin collection. 62 cm, 28 cm
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A fine twisted vine sculpture from Japan. Provenance: Todd Barlin collection. 95 x 46 cm
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