Description:

A Collection of Antique Glass Trade Beads and a Glass Bangle, Geelvink Bay and Lake Sentani in West Papua, Two Bronze Ingots and Strand of Red Beads,
this necklace of 50 Yellow Glass Gadrooned Beads were made in China in the 16th -17th Century to be used as trade goods in SE Asia & the island of New Guinea.

They were collected by Todd Barlin in the Geelvink Bay and the Waropen Coast area along the North Coast of West New Guinea. The village people highly valued these as traditional monies. I bought them only 1 – 2 at a time as that is how people brought them to me. They were an important type of traditional wealth use for bride price payments & other types of compensation payments & for goods. They originally acquired the beads from Malay traders who came to obtain Bird of Paradise feathers by trading Glass & Metal Objects. It is thought that this trade went over 2000- 3000 years, in an archeological dig in the Lake Sentani they found Dong Song Bronze Axe Heads, Kettle Drums and ancient glass beads and bangles.

The Old Green Glass Bangle & Blue Beads are ancient items probably made in SE Asia or China. I collected these in Lake Sentani are where they were highly valued by chiefly families for bridal payments.

The two Bronze Ingots on the far left are called Canoe Money because of the shape and are from ancient Burma,

The Red Beads are from China & I don't know much about them, I am not sure if they are glass or red coral.

References for further reading on this interesting subject: Plumes from Paradise by Dr Pamela Swaddling 1996. Swadling was the archeologist at the Papua New Guinea National Museum for decades.

Provenance:
The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic Art

  • Dimensions: L 2 - 51 cm

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Shipping

All lots must be paid for and collected by 4pm AEST Monday 8 November. Unfortunately we cannot arrange shipping from this location, however we can arrange the goods to be removed to our rooms at the buyers expense.

August 8, 2022 6:00 PM AEST
Stanmore, Australia

Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
A$0 A$49 A$5
A$50 A$99 A$10
A$100 A$299 A$20
A$300 A$499 A$25
A$500 A$999 A$50
A$1,000 A$1,999 A$100
A$2,000 A$4,999 A$200
A$5,000 A$9,999 A$500
A$10,000 A$19,999 A$1,000
A$20,000 A$49,999 A$2,000
A$50,000 A$99,999 A$5,000
A$100,000 A$199,999 A$10,000
A$200,000 A$499,999 A$20,000
A$500,000 + A$50,000