New York, 15 May 2014
Bonhams, the third largest international fine art auction house, achieved both a world record for a Maori wood weapon sold at auction and the highest price for a Polynesian work of art at auction during its African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art sale on May 15. The work to set such records was an important and rare wooden Maori Handclub 'wahaika' from New Zealand, formerly in the James Hooper Collection, that sold for $62,500.
The sale was well attended with spirited bidding for Oceanic art in the auction room, over the phones and online. Worldwide interest was seen in a selection of Austral Islands ceremonial paddles on offer in the sale, most of which achieved prices above their pre-sale estimates.
According to Fred Backlar, Specialist of African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art at Bonhams, the auction demonstrated the strength of Oceanic art in the Tribal market. "It is an area where the Surrealists originally drew inspiration for their art," he commented.
Notable in the auction were several exceptional works from the Collection of Marcia and John Friede of New York, which generated worldwide interest and found buyers in Europe and Asia. One of the works was an early and large Iatmul female figure from the Middle Sepik River Region of Papua New Guinea that achieved $47,500.
Of further importance was a rare stone hook pendant, 'palaoa,' from the Hawaiian Islands, that was sold to an important European collector for $25,000. It was one of the oldest known hook pendants from Hawai'i, possibly dating to the 17th century or earlier.