Yoruba Maternity Group

An Exceptional Eastern Cape Nguni Pipe Bowl and Stem Wood, metal Old inscription and dated: ‘1892’ South Africa 19th Century Size: 45.5cm long - 18 ins long Published: ‘The ...

A Rare and Exceptional Carved Headrest ‘Kali Hahapo’ Excellent colour and patina Wood, sennet (coconut fibre), glass beads Tonga Late 18th / Early 19th Century SIZE: 19cm high, 5...

A Rare and Historically Important Artefact Recovered from HMS Adventure in 1775 after Captain James Cook’s Second Voyage to the Pacific A ‘coconut husker’ made by a ship’s carpenter aboard HMS Adventure in the style and design of a Native Islander’s ethnographical ‘coconut husker’ An engraved and inscribed copper plaque: A memento from The Sandwich Islands Coconut Husker used aboard HMS Adventure and recovered from The Royal Dockyard Deptford 1775 Oak, iron, brass, copper, handmade iron screws Fine rich colour and patina England / Sandwich Island 18th Century SIZE: 15.5cm high, 49.5cm long, 20cm wide (max) - 6¹⁄₈ ins high, 19½ ins long, 7⁷⁄₈ ins wide (max) Provenance: Found in a Scottish attic after centuries of lying hidden in a crate Ex Private Scottish collection Captain James Cook’s second voyage aboard the Resolution and accompanied by HMS Adventure set sail in July 1772. The discovery of the southern eight islands of the Sandwich Islands group was in 1775. The given name was chosen in honour of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty. The copper plaque and inscription however should not be read as The Sandwich Islands ‘Owhyhee’ (The Hawaiian Islands) which were later discovered on January 18th, 1778, on Captain Cook’s third voyage. Rather the inscription refers to ‘South Sandwich Islands’ lying to the south east of South Georgia and only renamed later with the word ‘South’ to distinguish them from the ‘Sandwich Islands’ now known as the Hawaiian Islands. Not withstanding during Cook’s second voyage he visited Easter Island, Tahiti, Society Islands, Niue, Tonga, New Hebrides, New Caledonia, Norfolk Islands, Palmerston Island and South Georgia. The crew onboard having been exposed to various types of ‘coconut huskers’ adapted those designs into the example we now see, having been rescued from HMS Adventure in 1775. A rare example of 18th century cross...

An Unusual Polynesian ‘Child’s’ Fighting Club Old patina and mellow colour Wood Fiji 19th Century SIZE: 84.5cm long - 33¼ ins longù Provenance: Ex Welsh collection, sold at au...

An Exceptional New Zealand Māori Bugle-Flute ‘Pu Turino’ With soft and shallow surface decoration profusely carved with a dynamic scrolling motif made of two sections bound together with original and complete ‘Kiekie’ vine roots at four points The bow shaped mouth piece of anthropomorphic form with small rounded sounding hole to the end Soft silky smooth medium brown patina 18th Century Size: 33.5cm high, 4.5cm wide, 2.5cm deep - 13¼ ins high, 1¾ ins wide, 1 ins deep Provenance: Collected by Robert Nutter Campbell 4th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry on his return from Singapore 1829 Thence by descent Sold Sothebys, New York, May 17, 2002, lot 368 Ex Private English collection Ex Finch and Co...

An Unusual ‘Kanak’ Hardwood War Club Fine dark glossy patina from use, a lighter band where a now lost ‘binding’ would have acted also as a ‘wrist thong’ Wood New Caledonian, Kanak E...

Blessed by time, an early beautiful Yoruba female figure with baby riding on back, presenting an offering bowl in the form of a chicken with a removable top. Great Yoruba mother's face with scarifications and an excited baby. Areas of heavy wear, erosion and insect damage, especially to the two figures supporting the bowl, top of the chicken bowl...

The Yoruba people reserve the use of glass beads for royalty, priests and priestesses, as well as embellishing ritual and ceremonial objects. Though only kings are allowed to use bea...

Hand dyed Yoruba (Nigeria) cloth from the Esie area, 1950s.

Ibeji pair Ajasse Nigeria Wood, beads, pigment, offering remains 26.5cm and 25cm ex Beatrice Leutert and Marcel Plüss collection, Thurgau, Switzerland

Interesting maternity figure in a hieratic pose presenting a young adolescent. Beautiful facial expression, showing wisdom and knowledge. She is sitti...

This intricately-constructed colorful train was painstakingly created by Yoruba artisans in Nigeria in the mid-20th century. Recent designs such as this were based upon...