Indigenous Australia: Enduring Civilization

On view until August 2, 2015, the British Museum presents a major exhibition on Australian Aboriginal art, the first of its kind ever to be held in England. The colonization of Australia is closely associated with England, since it played a key role in the Western discovery and exploration of the “island continent” and, tragically, also in the decimation of its native cultures. Titled Indigenous Australia: Enduring Civilization, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see the museum’s remarkable collection of Australian art, the oldest pieces of which were brought to England as early as the 1770s. The exhibition will also feature works lent by a variety of other prestigious institutions such as the British Library, the Pitt-Rivers Museum, and the Cambridge Museum.

Learn more at the British Museum's official website.

Turtle shell mask  -  Mer, Torres Strait Islands 

Kunmanara Hogan, Tjaruwa Woods, Yarangka Thomas, Estelle Hogan,
Ngalpingka Simms and Myrtle Pennington, Kungkarangkalpa (detail), 2013

Images courtesy of the British Museum

Mossgreen Preview – The Dr. Peter Elliott Collection

On June 25–26, Mossgreen will present a preview of selections from its upcoming sale of the collection of Dr. Peter Elliott at Messum's in London. Amassed over many years of world travel, the Elliott Collection includes a multitude of fine tribal works from Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippine Islands, Vanuatu and the Himalayas. 

View more auction and preview information here.

Images courtesy of Mossgreen

Frieze Masters

From October 15–19, vast numbers of art lovers will attend the third annual Frieze Masters show. Much heralded by the press since its opening in 2012, this more general show is held concurrently with Frieze London, which focuses specifically on contemporary art and hosts 120 of the most prestigious galleries in the world. Tribal art will be represented at Frieze Masters by distinguished dealers Donald Ellis, Pace Primitive Gallery, Gallery Entwistle of London and Galerie Meyer of Paris.

For more information, visit the event's official website.

Tribal Perspectives

Tribal Perspectives, the UK’s only dedicated group art show for tribal art, will be held for its seventh consecutive year in London’s Mayfair district from October 2–5, with a collectors’ preview on the afternoon of the October 2. Exhibitors for this year’s event include Chris Boylan, Wayne Heathcote, Louis Nierijnck, Adam Prout, Bryan Reeves, book dealer Charles Vernon-Hunt, and, of course, Tribal Art Magazine. In addition to the tribal artifacts offered, Tribal Perspectives will also feature presentations and lectures. As in previous years, the event will be held at Gallery 28 at 28 Cork Street, London.

Visit the official website.

Images courtesy of Tribal Perspectives

Christie's Interior Sale features fine Nguni Pipes

Christie's London "Interior: Masters & Makers" sale concluded today, fetching nearly £300,000. The auction featured 132 lots from the pipe collection of British appliance magnate, Trevor Barton.

A circa 17th century Sinhalese Ivory Double-Pipe Case sold for £51,650 at the Unusual Smoking Pipe sale, far surpassing the £8,000 - £12,000 presale estimate. The work was the sale's top lot.

Ivory pipe cases, Austrian Meerschaum pipes, and 18th century tobacco figures were among the top lots. 

A large Austrian Meerschaum Pipe (circa 1875) sold for £7,500. The ivory pipe, carved as the head of a young lady carrying a porte-monnaie and wearing an elaborate wrist corsage, was projected to sell for £2,000 - £3,000. William Bragge's drawings of his rare pipe collection, expected to sell for £2,000 - £4,000 failed to find a buyer. 

The sale was from the collection of renowned "Pipe Man," Trevor Barton. Owning what was arguably the finest, most wide-ranging collection of pipes and smoking memorabilia in the world, Barton was a familiar figure in the stalls of the Portobello and Bermondsey markets of London. 

Barton's pipes come from all over the globe and reflect over fifty years of passionate pipe collecting and a lifetime of a travel. He was a leading member of the exclusive "Academie Internationale de la Pipe."

Several fine Nguni pipes from Southern Africa were included in the sale. Dating from 19th century, the works were finely inlaid with lead and depict objects such as clocks, cannons and trains. Others featured more traditional subjects, carved human figures. 

Results from the sale can be found at Christie's website, www.christies.com

Source: Christie's London

Photo courtesy of Christie's London

African Artwork 'Nelson's Ship in a Bottle' Unveiled in London's Iconic Trafalgar Square

Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare MBE, became the first African artist to display artwork in any public space in Great Britain, when he unveiled his work 'Nelson's Ship in a Bottle' in London's Trafalgar Square on May 24. Yinka's piece, sitting on top of the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, consists of a scale model of Nelson's HMS Victory set in a glass bottle, and is the largest recorded ship in a bottle in the world, measuring 2.8M by 4.7M. The ship's 37 large sails are made of exuberant and richly patterned African cloth, and symbolise African identity and independence. The artwork is sponsored by Guaranty Trust Bank of Nigeria who earlier in 2010 registered another first when it sponsored Chris Ofili's collection at Tate Britain, making it the first African corporation to sponsor a major artwork in Great Britain. Available video includes shots of the artwork being crafted, video from the unveiling as well and soundbites with Yinka Shonibare, Guaranty Trust Bank CEO, Tayo Aderinokun, and Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

Source: The News Market