Hamson2012 copia_Hamson2012 - Michael Hamson Oceanic Art

Michael Hamson
OCEANIC ART
Paris 2012
Michael Hamson
Oceanic Art
Paris 2012
It seems almost an embarrassing cliché for dealers today to bemoan how hard it is to
find good, old objects. I am sure every dealer of tribal art from the very beginning has
found it increasingly difficult to acquire the level of quality he or she was able to find
just ten years earlier. This probably held true in 1912 as it does in 2012. So while it
seems a sad and potentially tired excuse for dealers to keep raising their prices, the
fact of the matter is, it’s true—there is just less and less great South Pacific material
available.
Last year I decided to invest a considerable amount of funds to advertise in the
major daily newspapers across the United States. I placed bold advertisements in the
main news sections of the most popular newspapers in over 30 large cities: “Looking
to Buy Pre-1950 Pacific Art …” I invested in this project with the expectation that if
10–20 million readers saw my ads, then at least a few would have something worthy—
of course, one always hopes of uncovering some hidden trove of old Oceanic art. But
after crisscrossing America, visiting hundreds of households, I can honestly say I
failed. While I did find a few odd gems and I did acquaint myself with some
established collectors who had recently faded from the scene, I surely did not come
across some old collection of genuine objects getting dusty in the attic.
Yet the exercise of going into the hundreds of homes of people who thought they
actually had pre-1950 Pacific art was, in the end, an eye-opening experience. It both
quickly erased my naïve expectations of finding underappreciated masterpieces and
proved, without a doubt, how extremely rare good, old Oceanic art is to find.
Thus it is in this context, against this backdrop of scarcity, that I offer with pride and
excitement the 37 items in this catalog for the 2012 Parcours des Mondes. Building
upon the effort and attention to quality that I strived to bring to last year’s show is this
year’s presentation. Every single piece was acquired with the Parcours des Mondes in
mind—focusing on beauty, age and provenance. So while the acquisition process has
been at times torturous, I think you will find the results wonderful..
Michael Hamson, September 2012

1 Yuat River Mask
Yuat River area, south of the Sepik River, Papua New Guinea.
Early 20th century, 10” (25.3 cm) in height, collected by the American soldier John Downs in 1943/44 in
New Guinea; ex. Charma Gross Collection, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; exhibited at the Walker Art Center,
Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the 1960s.
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2 Coastal Sepik River Masquette
Probably Murik Lakes area, Coastal Sepik region, Papua New Guinea.
Pre-contact and stone-carved, mid to late 19th century, 4 ⅞” (12.4 cm) in height; ex. Harry Beasley
Collection (“Sepik,” 3761B and LB7 on reverse); ex. John and Marcia Friede Collection, Rye, New York.
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3 Coastal Sepik River Mask
Probably Murik Lakes area, Coastal Sepik region, Papua New Guinea.
Late 19th/early 20th century, 14” (35.6 cm) in height; ex. Harry Franklin Collection, Beverly Hills, California; ex. John and
Marcia Friede Collection, Rye, New York. Published in “The Art of the Sepik River” by Allen Wardwell, Art Institute of
Chicago, 1971, #15, p. 22. Tags on the reverse with “0 1791” and #6073.”
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4 Lower Sepik or Keram River Mask
East Sepik Province, lower Sepik or Keram River region, Papua New Guinea.
19th/early 20th century, 13” (33.1 cm) in height, ex. Kurt del Banco Collection, New York; ex. John and Marcia Friede
Collection, Rye, New York. Published in “New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John
Friede,” 2005, object 120, p. 144, vol. 1, and p. 101, vol. 2. The number 28 is painted in white on the reverse.
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5 Lower or Coastal Sepik River Mask
Lower or Coastal Sepik River area, Papua New Guinea.
Pre-contact and stone-carved, 19th century, 10 ½” (26.6 cm) in height; ex.
Stephane Mangin, Paris; ex. John and Marcia Friede Collection, Rye, New York.
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6 Coastal Ramu River Mask
Coastal Ramu River area, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea.
19th century, 17 ¾” (45 cm) in height. Collected in or before 1904 by Giovanni Bettanin. Néprajzi Múzeum, Budapest
(54351); Baudouin de Grunne Collection, Wezembeek-Oppem, Belgium; John and Marcia Friede Collection, Rye, New York.
Exhibited at Société Générale de Banque, Brussels, 1974, “Masques du Monde”; Maison de la Culture de Woluwé-Saint-
Pierre, Brussels, 1979, “Art Papou.” Published by Claerhout 1974, no. 106; de Grunne 1979, no. 6.6; Sotheby’s, Paris, Dec. 3,
2004, lot 11. Object 83 in “New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede,” 2005, item
83, p. 111, vol. 1, and p. 95, vol. 2.
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7 Head from a New Ireland Kulap Figure
Southern New Ireland area, Papua New Guinea.
19th century, 5” (12.7 cm) in height; ex. Bud Isenberg Collection, Los Angeles, California.
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8 Hohao Spirit Board, Elema Culture
Elema area, eastern section of the Papuan Gulf, Papua New Guinea.
19th century, 45 ⅛” (114.6 cm) in height, ex. Fenton & Sons, London; ex.
Augustus-Henry-Lane-Fox-Pitt-Rivers, May 27, 1895; Wayne Macedo
Collection, San Francisco, California. Illustrated on p. 1111, vol. 3, catalog of
Pitt-Rivers, second collection. Written in white on reverse is “B. T. of Fenton,
May 1895, Motu Motu Shield, New Guinea.”
Drawing from Augustus Henry Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers catalog, vol. 3, p. 1111,
second collection. Reproduced by kind permission of the Syndics of
Cambridge University Library.
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9 New Ireland Malangan Frieze
New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea.
19th century, 38 ⅝” (98.1 cm) in width; ex. Jacques Ulmann Collection, Paris; Wayne Heathcote
Collection. Illustrated in Sotheby & Co. London, 25 June 1968, lot 67, and Sotheby’s Paris 17 June 2009,
lot 123. Written on an old paper label on the reverse is the following: “Malangan…Bandares…west
kuste New-Ireland (New Mecklenburg) Bismark-Archipel.”
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10 New Ireland Male Figure
New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea.
19th century, 20 ⅞” (53 cm) in height; ex. Ludwig Bretschneider,
Munich; ex. Adrian Schlag, Kevin Conru, to Marc Franklin, Portland,
Oregon, 2001. On the reverse is “6992 Neu-Ireland-Figur.”
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11 Papuan Gulf Figure “Ground Spirit Carving”
Boriowo, Papuan Gulf region, Papua New Guinea.
Late 19th/early 20th century, 33 ⅜” (84.8 cm) in length; Collected by Roy James Hedlund, 1961; Douglas Newton Collection,
c1963-2001; ex. John and Marcia Friede Collection, Rye, New York.
This object was collected by Roy James Hedlund. He photographed it along with other sculptures on November 6, 1961. His
Polaroid print in The Photograph Study Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, has the following captions hand written
on the edges, “Boriowo-Papua-Nov.6, 1961” and “The ground spirit carvings guard agile.”
*This sculpture was owned by Douglas Newton at the time of his death. It is not known exactly when he purchased it, but
many of the objects Hedlund collected were shipped to clients in 1963.
*Information Copyright Dr. Virginia-Lee Webb 2002-2012. The Douglas Newton Archive, All Rights Reserved
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12 Papuan Gulf Bioma Figure
Era River area, Papuan Gulf region, Papua New Guinea.
Late 19th/early 20th century, 12 ⅞” (32.7 cm) in height; ex. Gustave Schindler Collection; ex. John and Marcia
Friede Collection, Rye, New York. On the reverse are paper labels with the following: “Papuan Gulf, New Guinea,
TRK,” “103” and “163.66.103.”
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13 Papuan Gulf Bioma Figure
Era River area, Papuan Gulf region, Papua
New Guinea.
Late 19th/early 20th century, 14 ⅜” (36.6
cm) in height; ex. John and Marcia Friede
Collection, Rye, New York.

14 Coastal Sepik Female Figure
Northcoast, west of mouth of Sepik River, Papua New Guinea.
Early 20th century, 12 ⅛” (30.8 cm) in height; ex. James Schoppe Collection, San Antonio, Texas. Collected
in Rabaul by Schoppe’s father in 1932/3.
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15 Figure from Headdress
Lower Ramu River, possibly Giri area, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea.
Late 19th/early 20th century, 8 ¼” (21 cm) in height. Collected by Ben Birillo in the 1960s; ex. John and Marcia Friede
Collection, Rye, New York. Published in “New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John
Friede,” 2005, item 75, p. 102, vol. 1, and p. 94, vol. 2.
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16 Boiken Figure Fragment
Kubalia grasslands, Kubalia Boiken culture area, Papua New Guinea.
Pre-contact and stone-carved, late 19th/early 20th century, 7” (18 cm) in height; Michael Kremerskothen
Collection, Dortmund, Germany. Published in “Art of the Boiken” by Michael Hamson, 2011, item 49, p. 100.
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17 Boiken Double Cuscus Figure
Nagum Boiken culture area, coastal Prince Alexander Mountains,
Papua New Guinea.
Pre-contact and stone-carved, 19th century, 6 ⅛” (15.6 cm) in height;
ex. John and Marcia Friede Collection, Rye, New York.
18 Spear-Thrower Ornament
Sepik Coastal or Schouten Islands, north coast
Papua New Guinea.
Late 19th/early 20th century, 8 ⅝” (21.9 cm) in
height; collected by Bruce Lawes in the 1960s;
ex. Marc Assayag; ex. Tom Burt, Toronto, Canada.
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19 Ceremonial Lime Container Stopper
Sawos or Iatmul culture, Middle Sepik River area, Papua New Guinea.
Late 19th/early 20th century, 10 ½” (26.5 cm) in length; ex. Mathias Komor, New York (H987); ex. John and Marcia
Friede, Rye, New York.
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20 Ceremonial Lime Container Stopper
Iatmul culture, Middle Sepik River area, Papua New Guinea.
Pre-contact and stone-carved, 19th century or earlier, 11” (28 cm) in length; ex. Wayne Heathcote; ex. John and Marcia
Friede Collection, Rye, New York.
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21 Sepik Coastal Betel Mortar
Sepik Coastal area, probably Murik Lakes, Papua New Guinea.
Late 19th/early 20th century, 7 ⅜” (18.7 cm) in height; ex. John and Marcia Friede Collection, Rye, New York.
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22 Sepik Coastal Neckrest
Sepik Coastal area, north coast Papua New Guinea.
19th/early 20th century, 7 ⅛” (18.2 cm) in height; ex. Gaston de Havenon Collection, New York; ex.
John and Marcia Friede Collection, Rye, New York. Published in “New Guinea Art: Masterpieces
from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede,” 2005, item 52, p. 78, vol. 1, and p. 91, vol.
2. Under the base, written in black, is the number “930.”
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23 Inland Ramu River
Land Owner’s Adze
Inland Ramu River area, Madang Province,
Papua New Guinea.
Pre-contact and stone-carved, 19th century
or before, 21 ¾” (55.3 cm) in height; ex.
Walter Randel Collection; ex. John and
Marcia Friede Collection, Rye, New York.
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24 Sawos Lime Stick Finial
Late 19th/early 20th century, 7 ⅜” (18.7 cm) in height;
collected in situ by Étienne and Monique de Ganay in
1935 on La Korrigane expedition; acquired by John
Friede from the de Ganay family in the 1980s.
Published in “Le Voyage de la Korrigane en Oceanie”
by Charles van den Broek D’Obrenan, 1938, fig. 1.

25 Fly River Comb
Bamu or Fly River Estuary, Western Province, Papua New Guinea.
Wabuda or Bamu Kiwai language group.
19th/early 20th century, 13” (33 cm) in height; collected between 1934–39 by Eva and
Harry Standen at their Bamu River Mission, Maipani village, Dibiri Island in the Bamu River
Delta, adjacent to the Fly River Delta; ex. John and Marcia Friede Collection, Rye, New York.
Published in “New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John
Friede,” 2005, p. 506, vol. 1, and p. 166, vol. 2.
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26 Massim Carver’s Adze
D’Entrecasteaux Islands, Kalauna village, Goodenough Island, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea.
19th/early 20th century, 19 ⅛” (48.5 cm) in height; collected by Greg Hamson in Kalauna village, Goodenough Island, 2007;
ex. John and Marcia Friede Collection, Rye, New York.
The adze is similar in style to one in the National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, acquired in 1877, and is possibly from
the same hand as a 19th-century sail hoist in the Dresden Museum of Ethnology.
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27 Massim Sail Hoist
Probably Dawson Strait area, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea.
19th century, 15 ¼” (38.6 cm) in height; ex. Francesco Pellizzi
Collection, New York; ex. John and Marcia Friede Collection, Rye,
New York.

28 Massim Sail Hoist
Probably Dawson Strait area, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea.
19th century, 10” (25.3 cm) in height; collected by Charles Richard
Langman, owner of the Imperial Hotel on Thursday Island, between
1902 and 1910. Then by descent to Janette Robertson and Florence
Josephine Cheers, Sydney; Caspian Gallery, Sydney; John and Marcia
Friede Collection, Rye, New York.
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29 Torres Straits Arrow Tip
Torres Straits, Australia, or Fly River Delta, Western Province,
Papua New Guinea.
19th century, 13 ¼” (33.6 cm) in height; ex. John and Marcia
Friede Collection, Rye, New York.
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30 Torres Straits Arrow Tip
Torres Straits, Australia, or Fly River Delta,
Western Province, Papua New Guinea.
19th century, 22 ¼” (56.5 cm) in height; ex.
Thomas Schultze, Berlin; Frank Reiter, Berlin
(1138).
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31 Papuan Gulf Bullroarer, kaiaimunu
Wapo River area, Papuan Gulf, Papua New Guinea.
Late 19th/early 20th century, 18” (45.8 cm) in height, collected in situ by
Thomas Schultze-Westrum in 1966; ex. John and Marcia Friede Collection, Rye,
New York. White labels on the reverse with the numbers “G848” and “P37.”
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32 Sepik Coastal Food Pounder
Wonigara village, Mountain Arapesh area, East Sepik
Province, Papua New Guinea.
19th century, 22 ½” (57.1 cm) in height; collected by
Ulrich Kortmann in Wonigara village in 1988; ex.
Wayne Heathcote; John and Marcia Friede Collection,
Rye, New York.
While collected in a Mountain Arapesh village, the
pounder is definitely from the coast or offshore islands
to the east toward Wewak.
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33 Asmat Drum
Northwest Asmat region, West Papua.
Late 19th/early 20th century, 26” (66 cm) in length; ex. Ken Ratin Collection, USA.
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34 Massim Sword Club
Southern Massim area, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea.
19th century; ex. Zoran Agatic Collection, Melbourne; Alex Philips, Melbourne; John and Marcia Friede, Rye, New York.
ABOVE: Alex Philips Advertisement in “Tribal Arts,” Winter 1998
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35 Middle Sepik River Pigment Dish
Middle Sepik River area, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.
Early 20th century, 10 ¼” (26 cm) in length; ex. Mark Lissauer Collection (Liss. 26841); Fortess Family Collection (8/31/86-
531), Honolulu and Boston.
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36 Central Desert Australia Wood Churinga
Possibly Argyle Downs Station, border of Western Australia and Northern Territory, Australia.
19th century, 17” (43 cm) in height; private collection, USA.
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66 Central Desert Australia Stone Churinga
Yuendumu, Warlpiri people, Northern Territory, Australia.
19th century, 18 ¾” (47.5 cm) in height; private collection, USA.
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MICHAEL HAMSON
OCEANIC ART
360 Palos Verdes Drive West
Palos Verdes Estates
CA 90274 U.S.A.
Tel. 310 373 1392
mhamson@michaelhamson.com
www.michaelhamson.com
Photography:
Color separations: Graficazeta, Milan, Italy.
Printed by Cassochrome, Waregem, Belgium.
All rights reserved
© Michael Hamson, 2012
ISBN 978-1-4507-8811-3
ALSO AVAILABLE:
Oceanic Art, Paris 2011
edited by Michael Hamson, 2011
Art of the Boiken
edited by Michael Hamson, 2011
Red Eye of the Sun: The Art of
the PAPUAN GULF
by Michael Hamson, 2010
Art of the Massim & Collingwood Bay
by Michael Hamson and Richard
Aldridge, 2009
The Art of West Sepik
by Michael Hamson, 2008
Aesthetics of Integrity in
New Guinea Art
by Michael Hamson, 2007
The Elegance of Menace: Aesthetics
of New Guinea Art
by Michael Hamson, 2006
Michael Hamson Oceanic Art
www.michaelhamson.com