Lot 30
  • 30

Mani Luki (Harry Carpenter Wommatakimmi) circa 1905-1980

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
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Description

  • Mani Luki (Harry Carpenter Wommatakimmi)
  • Untitled, Purukapali
  • Natural earth pigments on carved wood
  • 38.7cm high

Provenance

Executed on Bathurst or Melville Island, circa 1950s

Sotheby’s, African and Oceanic Art, New York, 19 November, 1999, lot 187A, (NO7390)

Acquired from the above sale, the Sotheby’s catalogue entry remarks that the figure was possibly acquired from ethnographic art dealer Julius Carlebach in New York in the late 1940s.

Fiona Brockhoff, Melbourne

Exhibited

Open Air: Portraits in the Landscape, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, 3 December 2008 - 1 March 2009

Condition

Mounted on custom metal stand, with two metal drilled into wooden base. Lower section of left arm has broken away, as is visible in catalogue. Crack in right arm as well. Pigment faded and rubbed away over time over entire torso. No apparent repairs or restoration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Cf. Mountford, The Tiwi: Their Art, Myth and Ceremony, 1954 for further discussion.