Ethnographica & Tribal Art

Summer tribal art sales in Paris have produced a clutch of strong results for works from different world centres, both African and Oceanic, often for pieces that came with renowned provenances. Three of them are pictured here.

One of the longest-standing events in the tribal art dealing fraternity takes place this month in Brussels, a key centre of the tribal art market.

Three tribal art previews of objects being offered at auctions in Paris and Vienna.

Last year the UK’s regional salerooms were treated to a generous handful of five- and six-figure bids for unappreciated masterworks of Aboriginal and Oceanian art – a Maori putorino or bugle flute sold to a French dealer for £140,000 at John Nicholson’s of Haslemere among them.

One of the better reflections of the art world’s global reach is the tribal art market. No longer the preserve of a handful of aficionados or avant-garde early 20th century artists, the artefacts of non-European cultures are now the subject of worldwide interest and appreciation.

Burgundy beckons enthusiasts for tribal art this week with the third edition of the Bourgogne Tribal Show.

Not only is industrious Derbyshire auction house Hansons about to launch its new saleroom down south, but it is also starting a new sale format building on the popular tribal art collecting scene.

While BRAFA understandably dominates much of the cultural headlines during this period, it is not the only show in town.

Tribal art has long been a Belgian speciality due to the country’s colonial history in Africa. So it is not surprising to see this area well represented at BRAFA, with around a dozen participants in this field hailing from Paris, Brussels and as far away as Montreal.

The rising popularity of the tribal art collecting scene is tempting auction houses to take steps in that direction.

Paris’ status as a centre of the tribal art market was underscored this season with a brace of high prices in the field of Oceanic art.

A Sioux Indian beaded knife sheath from the Battle of Little Bighorn could be the highlight of Skinner’s sale of American Indian and Ethnographic art to be held on December 2 in Boston.

TEFAF Maastricht has added ‘TEFAF Tribal’ as a new category to its 2018 edition in a move that points to the ongoing strength of the tribal art market.

The currently vibrant market for Oceanic art was made plain to staff at John Nicholson’s (24% buyer’s premium) of Fernhurst in February this year when a Maori putorino or bugle flute, estimated at £50-100, sold to French dealer for £140,000. Surely, similar good fortune would not be repeated any time soon?