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| Image | Sale date | Auction house | Location | Sale name | Lot No. | Estimate | Price Sold | Condition | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 14, 2019 | Bonhams | New York | AFRICAN AND OCEANIC ART | 63 | $****** - ****** | Maori Anthropomorphic Pendant |
other
12.4 cm (4.88 in)
James Baillie Fraser, 15th Laird of Reelig (1783-1856)
Thence by family descent to the present owner
hei tiki
Brought up on the family estate in the Scottish Highlands near Inverness (where this land-owning branch of the Fraser clan had been settled since the 15th century), James was educated in Edinburgh. As a young man he lived to Guiana (now Guyana) to oversee the sugar plantations the family owned in Berbice. When sugar prices collapsed the family mortgaged the plantations which soon ran into debt. He returned home and in 1813 James travelled to Calcutta, India hoping to set up business which could pay off the debts. James was a traveler, writer and artist, who illustrated and wrote extensively about Asia Minor and India.
Although there appears to be no mention of James visiting New Zealand, the family archive has a letter to James from his first cousin Patrick Fraser Tytler (known as Peter) dated December 1843 which mentions a massacre near Nelson, New Zealand on the plain of Wairoo and expresses relief that 'our dear boys have escaped but with what heart must poor James and Elizabeth read all this'. It's hard to determine who 'our dear boys' are but it could be that they were been part of the family. There is also a small interesting sketch book in the archive which contains intricate drawings of Maoris, their headgear, weapons etc. and loose leaf lists of tools, utensils, dress, cloth, etc. along with lists of places in or around New Zealand, but no mention of a pendant or drawing of one.
This highly expressive pendant of a hei tiki was most likely carved without the use of metal tools out of a dark green nephrite stone, the head with large sunken eyes with remnants of red sealing wax, and large gaping mouth; pierced through at the arms with hands delineated by incised fingers resting on the thighs, the feet joining at the center below; a piercing at the top for suspension, another next to it completely worn through; wear on the back indicative of significant age and indigenous use.
