Thursday, February 18, 2010

FERN ALBUM BY ERIC CRAIG Ca1880

An large impressive album of 117 different New Zealand Ferns collected and compiled by Eric Craig Ca 1880.
Mottled Kauri boards, 61 pages of pressed ferns each measuring 18" x 10 1/2 inches,
- Mr Eric Craig of Princes St, Auckland. Eric Craig (1829-1923) was a collector, publisher and dealer of natural history and ethnography, who ran a curio business called “The Fern and Curiosity Shop” near to the old Auckland museum.
for more information
portobello@woosh.co.nz
sold thanks Christchurch











Monday, February 15, 2010

NAIVE PAINTINGS OF AKAROA

" Cygnet" and "Ruahine" at Wainui,
44cm x 40cm
for more information
portobello@woosh.co.nz














"Regatta Akaroa 1907" 73cm x 42 cm
both painted from postcards by Ray Bisman, Lyttleton

SCRIMSHAW POWDER HORN, MAORI WARS ca 1865


A well worn powder horn with scrimshaw decoration
in the style of those produced by Gustav von Tempsky.
Possibly the man depicted holding the Union Jack and firing his pistol is von Tempsky himself.
I do not think this horn is by von Tempsky but one made by one of the Forrest Rangers with his direction as you can see "prick marks" where the woman's face has been copied from a drawing on paper.
Still a very interesting piece of New Zealand scrimshaw.
for more information
portobello@woosh.co.nz






























MAGIC JOLLY JUG, Ca1864



The Jolly Jug was popular in the early to mid 19th century. Elsmore & Forster in Staffordshire were one of the firms that manufactured such items.

When you fill the jug with water, you can pour from the spout in the normal way, but you can also make the liquid come out through a hole in the base of the jug. When you are pouring from the bottom of the jug, you can also make the flow stop, apparently at will.

Inside the jug is a hole which connects to a tube that runs up one side of the handle. If you look at the underside of the jug, you see a second hole, and this hole connects to a separate tube that runs up the other side of the handle. Towards the top of the handle the two tubes meet. There will also be a small air hole at the top of the handle, just a couple of millimetres across.

To make the siphon action work, you need to tilt the jug back slightly, keeping your finger over the little hole in the handle. Initially there will be liquid in one of the tubes in the handle - the tube that connects to the hole INSIDE the jug. When you tip the jug back slightly, the liquid will move up that tube and down into the other tube that connects to the hole on the underside of the jug. You now have a working siphon, and liquid will continue to flow from the bottom of the jug until you remove your finger from the little hole in the handle. This will break the siphon, and the liquid flow will cease.

Inscribed " James Hailstones 1864"

for more information
portobello@woosh.co.nz


KONSO FUNERARY FIGURES, ETHIOPIA


Pair of Konso posts, early 20th century
for more information
portobello@woosh.co.nz

Sunday, February 14, 2010

MASSIM LIME SPATULA



Lime infill early 20th century
13 3/4 inches
From old local collection, collected by Colonel John Durnford-Slater
British Army, India, Ca1935
sold thanks Australia
for more information
portobello@woosh.co.nz

Friday, February 12, 2010

ITEMS OF PERSONAL ADORNMENT, SOLOMON ISLANDS

Collection of turtle shell earrings, 4 nose bones, Jacobs Tears rattle arm bands and a beaded arm band all early 20th century and all from an old local collection
for more information
portobello@woosh.co.nz

comb sold thanks London

RARE MASSIM MWALI, PAPUA NEW GUINEA


The Kula is the most famous trading journey in Oceania large canoes from throughout the Masssim area had trading partners on other islands, with whom they traded their own surplus produce clay pots, taro, pigs, shell money, etc. At the same time, each kula trader had a trading partner on the other island with whom he exchanged gifts, and these gifts passed form hand ot hand within the kula ring. There was a strict procedure for the exchange. Red shell disk necklaces (bagi)) were always exchange in a clockwise direction and white clamshell armbands (mwali) in an anti-clockwise direction. The most famous kula items were named and each item changed hands frequently. The participants politicked (and employed magic wherever possible) to obtain the choicest examples and hold them for a while as they were publically displayed and conveyed great status. It is very unusual for a mwali of this size and age to be sold
Mwali armband made from sinnet strung glass beads, vegetable fibers, shells and conus millepunctus shell. Massim Region. Early 20th century, collected by Colonel John Durnford-Slater
British Army, India, Ca1935 for more information
portobello@wsold thanks Wellingtonoosh.co.nz

PIG TUSK ADORNMENT PNG CA1920


This adornment comes from the Purari River delta and is very rare because it is one of the very few that have been collected intact. Made with bush fibre rope, spondylus shells, seed rattles, crepe paper and of course a full circle pig tusk. It presents wonderfully and although similar to a massim pig tusk necklace can be identified immediately as Papuan Gulf by the intricate knot work that attaches the spondylus necklace to the tusk. It would date to the 1920’s.Aquired from and old local collection, collected by Colonel John Durnford-Slater
British Army, India, Ca1935 for more information


sold thanks Wellington
portobello@woosh.co.nz

LARGE TABUA, FIJI, MID 19TH CENTURY


Tabua wa magimagi

Sperm Whale tooth suspended from a chain of looped sinnet fibre, magimagi. Teeth from the upper jaw of a Sperm Whale were regarded with reverence, perhaps the most important of the Fijian valuables. Acceptance of a tooth presented to a chief bound him to the request made with the tooth, such as a desired course of action. They were also made as presentations in marriage and as tokens of personal esteem.

Tooth measures 7 inches and is very heavy, great patina, original sinnet suspension cord, from old local collection, collected by Colonel John Durnford-Slater
British Army, India, Ca1935

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

ORIGINAL 1904 ST LOUIS WORLD FAIR POSTER


36 inches x 24 inches original lithograph
1904 Lousiana Purchase Exposition, Festival Hall and Cascades
for more information
portobello@woosh.co.nz

Monday, February 8, 2010

FINE MAORI KETE MADE FROM KEIKEI






















Very finely woven maori kete made from Keikei fibre circa 1930 mint condition
for more information
portobello@woosh.co.nz

STEVENSONS ROCKET DECANTER CA 1850


Unique Stevensons' Rocket port decanter with cigar cutter, cheroot and cigar holder silver gilt and cut glass 19 inches long and 16 inches high circa 1850 holders for 12 port glasses now missing
for more information
portobello@woosh.co.nz

CARVED GOURD BY THEO SCHOON




Born in Java of Dutch parents in 1915, sent to Holland for classical art education in Rotterdam, Schoon travelled through Europe absorbing all that the new movements could offer. Upon arrival in New Zealand in 1939 he was probably the best educated artist in the country. Schoon was an artist, photographer, potter, sculptor, greenstone carver, designer and an expert art researcher. He developed his knowledge of Maori design by going to the best Maori authorities. Often the only European invited by Maori to show his art and creations on their marae. He became an expert gourd maker. A number of his carved gourds are held in American museums. He researched the few Maori rock drawings that were then known, and began a time-consuming and physically demanding on-the-spot research in often isolated and deep caves. He recorded the rock drawings in his sketches and photographs.
Schoon undertook intense research at the same time, in to Maori design. He assembled the designs recorded by Williams, Augustus Hamilton and J H Menzies from the start of the century, and consulted with Maori elders and Tohunga. Applying aspects of Maori design to his own art, he developed a fern root spiral which became the well-known "koru". Schoon freely admitted he had adapted Maori design & was always free with his gifts to other artists.
for more information
sold thanks auckland
portobello@woosh.co.nz

IROQUOIS BEADED MOCCASINS

Very lightly worn circa 1900, perfect condition

STAFFORDSHIRE BULLS HEAD COVERED DISH


Bulls head serving dish most probably for tougue,
decorated in polychrome enamels circa 188o, perfect condition 8 inches high.
SOLD THANKS CHRISTCHURCH

PORTRAIT PLATE OF LOUIS PHILIPPE BY SARREGUEMINES


8 inch plate with impressed Sarreguemines lowercase mark, perfect condition.