Lot 20
  • 20

TORRES STRAIT ISLAND PARULAIG OR OPOP (ARROW POINT) 19TH CENTURY |

Estimate
2,500 - 3,500 GBP
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Description

  • Carved and engraved wood
  • Height: 55 cm

Provenance

Collection Laprugne, Paris
Christie’s, Collection Laprugne et à divers amateurs : Arts d'Afrique, d'Océanie et d'Amérique du Nord, 4 April 2017, Paris, lot 13
Acquired from the above by the present owner  

Condition

The spear peg is wooden and bound to the shaft with fine native string and coated in a native resin. The top of the finial is broken off. Engraved timber infilled with traces of red ochre. There are some fine hairline cracks running longitudinally through the surface on either side of the face. There does not appear to be any visible evidence of repair or restoration. A small sticker on the side of the object reads MHMC-1499. This lot is sold with a custom made burnished stand.
"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. Dr Peter Emmett, ed., 200 Treasures of The Australian Museum, Westpac Long Gallery, Australian Museum, Sydney, 2017, p.68, fig.31 (illus.) for two closely related arrows from Mer (Murray Island) collected in 1936 by Charles Morgan Lewis, Captain of the ship Isabella. “These arrows adorned with carved human heads most likely originated in New Guinea. Mer does not have good stocks of timber and so many wooden objects – such as canoe hulls, masks, clubs, and arrow heads – were obtained under complex trade agreements and brought to the island in the early 19th Century by Merian warriors." ibid.