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A CEREMONIAL SKULL MASK, ATONI PEOPLE, WEST TIMOR
奥地利
06月27日 下午5点 开拍
拍品描述

Description

A CEREMONIAL SKULL MASK, ATONI PEOPLE, WEST TIMOR

Indonesia, 19th to early 20th century. Carved from the upper section of an ox skull, the mask neatly incised and pierced with a human face bearing a grim expression marked by wide eyes, a broad nose, and downturned crescent mouth, the cheeks, chin, and forehead further incised with geometric design. The neck adorned with a necklace incised as a lozenge-patterned band above an elaborate geometric design with circular, lozenge, and angular scroll elements.

Provenance: From a private collection in Paris, France.
Condition: Very good condition with wear, natural imperfections with associated minor losses, small nicks, light scratches, and fissures. Fine, naturally grown, dark patina.

Weight: 97.8 g
Dimensions: Length 21.6 cm

The Atoni people are an ethnic group on Timor who hold to an animist spiritual tradition which uses animal remains in ritual ceremonies. The tradition of bone carving dates back centuries, as bone was believed to imbibe the wearer with the Atoni’s totemic guardian spirit. These masks are worn by shamans known as Dunkun who first engraved the skull after the animal had been ritually sacrificed prior to the primary ceremony. Spreading out like wings, the arching bones form empty spaces on either side of the head, contributing to the celestial, ethereal character attributed to this spiritual figure. Most Atoni bone carvings are made today in two villages high in the mountains of central West Timor, which have kept the tradition alive as one of the few native practices left on this remote island whose population is now almost entirely Catholic, creating some of the most breathtaking scrimshaw being produced in the world today.

Literature comparison:
Compare two closely related Timor skull masks illustrated by the Dutch artist Meinbert Gozewijn van Soest on his website.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Zacke, Vienna, 18 October 2024, lot 672
Price: EUR 3,380 or approx. EUR 3,400 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A ceremonial skull mask, Atoni people, West Timor
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and similar startled expression and finely incised geometric design. Note the size (23.2 cm).

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价格信息

拍品估价:250 - 500 欧元 起拍价格:250 欧元  买家佣金: 35.00%

拍卖公司

Galerie Zacke
地址: Sterngasse 13, 1010 Vienna, Austria
电话: 0043-1-5320452
邮编: 1070
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