Ritual Bast and Woven Works from Oceania (14 pieces); Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea, Mid-20th Century; Provenance: Jürgen Maurer (1939-2018)

This exceptionally extensive, 14-piece lot comprises traditional bast, fiber, and woven works from various indigenous cultures of Oceania, dating to the period between the 1950s and 1980s. The entire collection impresses with its complete and high-profile provenance: it originates from the estate of the well-known German collector Jürgen Maurer (1939-2018), who throughout his life was considered a passionate lover and connoisseur of African and Oceanic art and gathered these pieces during his regular research and collecting trips.

A special ethnographic highlight of this ensemble is two original bundles of so-called women's wealth, locally known as nununiga, from the Trobriand Islands in Papua New Guinea. One of the bundles still bears the original collector's label of Jürgen Maurer. These objects, elaborately handcrafted and patterned from dried banana leaves, still form an independent ritual currency for women, the doba, and play a central role in ceremonial exchange transactions. Also of great importance is a traditional yokal skirt for women from the Dani people of the central highlands of West Papua. Made from spun and hand-knotted bark bast fiber dyed with a characteristic reddish-brown natural pigment, this garment served married women as an essential sign of status, maturity, and identity within their society.

The lot is complemented by two masterfully hand-woven bast belts, one of which is dyed in a striking purple, as well as a magnificent yellow decorative belt with contrasting longitudinal stripes, a classic, natural bast skirt, and one large and two smaller, tightly knotted wreaths for head and arm decoration. Two elaborately crafted bast tassels or pommels, which were also worn as ritual body adornment, round off this museum-quality collection perfectly. A rare and fascinating lot that offers a deep insight into the material culture and textile craftsmanship of Oceania. The objects show signs of wear, but are still in a good condition considering their age and the delicate material. The invoice from the auction house indicating the provenance "Jürgen Maurer" will be included in the package. Signs of wear corresponding to age.