The collection of New Guinea tribal artifacts began in the late 19th century during the period of European colonialism and exploration of the region. Many early collectors were anthropologists, missionaries, or colonial administrators who were interested in documenting the diverse cultures and societies of the region.

The first known collector of New Guinea tribal artifacts was Sir William MacGregor, the Governor of British New Guinea from 1895 to 1898. MacGregor was an avid collector of artifacts and ethnographic objects, and he acquired a large collection of New Guinea tribal artifacts during his time in the region. He was followed by other collectors, including the American anthropologist Margaret Mead, who conducted extensive fieldwork in the region in the early 20th century and amassed a significant collection of artifacts.

During the early 20th century, many New Guinea tribal artifacts were acquired by museums and private collectors in Europe and North America. These more...

48 items found:

These items have been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.

Papua New Guinea quatrefoil stone headed war club. With fibre…

Papua New Guinea Stone War Club with Fibre Binding

Papua New Guinea quatrefoil stone headed war club. With fibre binding, length 70 cm

Papua New Guinea Highlands 'Kukukuku' club with fibre binding,…

Papua New Guinea Highlands Kukukuku Club: 82cm Fiber Binding

Papua New Guinea Highlands 'Kukukuku' club with fibre binding, length 82 cm

A large ebony Massim sword club, Papua New Guinea, 77 cm long

77cm Long Ebony Massim Sword Club from Papua New Guinea

A large ebony Massim sword club, Papua New Guinea, 77 cm long

A ceremonial bowl, Tami Islands, Huon Gulf, 20th century, with…

Ceremonial Bowl with Unique Club Form Designs, Tami Islands

A ceremonial bowl, Tami Islands, Huon Gulf, 20th century, with unusual carved club form designs to the rim on either side, 86 cm long

An impressive war club, carved stone, wood and woven cane,…

Papua New Guinea War Club

An impressive war club, carved stone, wood and woven cane, Papua New Guinea, 93 cm long

Papua New Guinean short war club, with discoidal flower-like…

Papua New Guinean Stone Head War Club

Papua New Guinean short war club, with discoidal flower-like carved stone head, tapering wooden handle, and woven cane. 68 cm length

Papua New Guinean sword club, rich dark patina, saw teeth…

Trobriand Island Sword Club

Papua New Guinean sword club, rich dark patina, saw teeth carved to the handle, large carved band inlaid with limestone to the shaft. Trobriand Islands. 66 cm length

Early fine stone headed war club, New Britain, Papua New Guinea.…

Stone Headed War Club from Papua New Guinea

Early fine stone headed war club, New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Carved hardwood, stone and shells. Long cylindrical shaft inserted through a large rounded doughnut-form stone at the top with shells applied around the inner edge on top and bottom, dark…

Early fine Kukukuku pineapple stone headed club, Morobe…

Kukukuku Pineapple Stone Club from Papua New Guinea

Early fine Kukukuku pineapple stone headed club, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. Carved hardwood, stone and woven natural fibre. The Angu or Anga people, also called Kukukuku (pronounced 'Cookah-cookah') live mainly in the high, mountainous region of…

Papua New Guinea club with tapa handle 46 cm

PNG Tapa Handle Club - 46cm

Papua New Guinea club with tapa handle 46 cm

An old Trobriand Island sword club, lime inlay to the carving,…

Trobriand Island Sword Club with Lime Inlay and Fibre Attachment

An old Trobriand Island sword club, lime inlay to the carving, pierced row of holes to the base with fibre attached, length 65 cm.

Early bulbous club, Murray River Region, New South Wales. Club…

Murray River Region Bulbous Club

Early bulbous club, Murray River Region, New South Wales. Club with biconical head, probably from the Murray River region. Their clean forms and well shaped heads possess a functional beauty. Carved and engraved hardwood. Provenance: Private Collection,…

An incised and painted black palm fighting club, probably Papua…

Black Palm Fighting Club from Papua New Guinea

An incised and painted black palm fighting club, probably Papua Gulf Region, Papua New Guinea, length 118 cm

Tribal arm band, neck ornament, gopi board and shark tooth club,…

Pacific Island Tribal Artifacts

Tribal arm band, neck ornament, gopi board and shark tooth club, Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islands, (4 items), the club 100 cm long

Papua New Guinea stone club. Highlands fighting club with…

Highlands Pineapple Stone Club

Papua New Guinea stone club. Highlands fighting club with pineapple form head over woven cane fixings. Age and use patina. Length 66 cm

Early 20th century Massim dance club. Typical flattened scroll…

Massim Dance Club with Carved Pommel - 20th Century

Early 20th century Massim dance club. Typical flattened scroll carved flat blade semi circular pommel with 3 tassel holes. Losses to edges. Length 54 cm

A whale bone Sickle type club, Wuvulu Island, Papua New Guinea.…

Wuvulu Island Whale Bone Sickle Club

A whale bone Sickle type club, Wuvulu Island, Papua New Guinea. Provenance: collected by Tim Herbert in the 1970s, height 131 cm

Papua New Guinea hardwood club. Incised decoration to handle,…

Papua New Guinea Hardwood Club with Incised Decoration

Papua New Guinea hardwood club. Incised decoration to handle, leaf form with traces of ochre. Length 103 cm

Stone headed club. Collected Eastern Sepik Region, Papua New…

Sepik Club from Papua New Guinea

Stone headed club. Collected Eastern Sepik Region, Papua New Guinea in 1937. Length 81.5 cm. Collection Dr John Raven, Perth.

Stone headed club. Collected Eastern New Britain, Papua New…

Papuan Stone Club from Dr. Raven's Collection

Stone headed club. Collected Eastern New Britain, Papua New Guinea, prior to World War II. Length 108.5 cm. Collection Dr John Raven, Perth.

Papua New Guinea war club with stone head. Spherical stone head…

Stone-headed War Club from Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea war club with stone head. Spherical stone head held in place by woven fibre & gum resin. Length 120 cm

A New Guinea club with carved stone pineapple head, woven fibre…

Stone Pineapple Club with Woven Fibre Shaft

A New Guinea club with carved stone pineapple head, woven fibre at head of shaft. Old damage to shaft, length 106 cm

A New Britain stone headed club, a fine club with stone head…

Stone-headed Club with Wooden Shaft

A New Britain stone headed club, a fine club with stone head set on a wooden tapering shaft with raised end. Length 77 cm

A New Guinea stone club, ground stone disc head on wooden shaft…

Kukukuku Stone Club with Wooden Shaft and Fibre Bindings

A New Guinea stone club, ground stone disc head on wooden shaft with fibre bindings, Kukukuku people, Morobe region, PNG, 92 x 18 cm

A Massim sword club, with incised pattern and glossy patina on…

Trobriand Islands Massim Sword Club

A Massim sword club, with incised pattern and glossy patina on handle, on metal stand, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea, height 66 cm

A Serui Sago scoop & a black palm sword, scoop with profusely…

Serui Sago Scoop & Black Palm Sword with Ancestral Design

A Serui Sago scoop & a black palm sword, scoop with profusely incised ancestral design and patina from use, the club incised on one side, minor chips on point, West Papua and Sepik. Provenance: The Dr George Soutter and Dr John Yu collection, length 52 -…

Four old stone headed clubs, New Guinea, 18/19th century, [4],…

Old Stone Headed Clubs from British New Guinea

Four old stone headed clubs, New Guinea, 18/19th century, [4], two pineapple shaped club heads, a star shaped head and a disc shaped head club, all with very old handles and some fibre or woven attachments. Provenance: Ex James Cobon, surveyor to British…

Probable Papua New Guinea Trobriand Island long club plain form,…

Undecorated Long Club from Trobriand Island, Papua New Guinea

Probable Papua New Guinea Trobriand Island long club plain form, undecorated, 141 cm length

Two Prehistoric stone bowls and a club head, Nipa area Southern…

Prehistoric Stone Bowls and Club Head from Southern Highlands

Two Prehistoric stone bowls and a club head, Nipa area Southern Highlands. Ex Stan Tyler collection, patrol officer 1960s 8 cm,. Diameter 22 cm & 21 cm

Two prehistoric stone bowls and club head, Mendi Valley…

Prehistoric Stone Bowls and Club Head from Mendi Valley

Two prehistoric stone bowls and club head, Mendi Valley Southern Highlands. Ex Stan Tyler collection, patrol officer 1960s 13 cm x 11 cm,. Diameter 13 cm & 21 cm

Papuan Gulf Club. Richly patinated palm wood club with openwork…

Palm Wood Openwork Club from Papuan Gulf

Papuan Gulf Club. Richly patinated palm wood club with openwork carving with red pigment and traces of lime. Length 111 cm. Width 8.5 cm. Provenance: T. Clemence Collection, New Zealand

Papuan Gulf Club. Black patinated palm wood club with fine…

Papuan Gulf Openwork Club

Papuan Gulf Club. Black patinated palm wood club with fine openwork carving with red pigment and traces of lime. Length 108 cm. Width 6.5 cm. Provenance: T. Clemence Collection

Papuan Gulf Club. Black patinated palm wood club with fine…

Papuan Gulf Openwork Club

Papuan Gulf Club. Black patinated palm wood club with fine openwork carving with red and white pigment and traces of lime. Length 102 cm. Width 6 cm. Provenance: T. Clemence Collection

Massim Club. Tapering form, pierced holes for attachment at top,…

Tapered Massim Club with Raised Carving

Massim Club. Tapering form, pierced holes for attachment at top, raised carving to handle. Light brown patina. Length 74 cm. Width 14 cm. Provenance: T. Clemence Collection, New Zealand

Papuan Gulf Club. Black patinated palm wood club with fine…

Papuan Gulf Openwork Carved Club

Papuan Gulf Club. Black patinated palm wood club with fine openwork carving with red pigment and traces of lime. Length 122 cm. Width 7 cm. Provenance: T. Clemence Collection, New Zealand

New Britain Stone Headed Club. Large orthodox mace form with…

Stone Headed Club from New Britain

New Britain Stone Headed Club. Large orthodox mace form with stone head surrounded with inlaid shells, rich brown patina. Length 130 cm. Width 8 cm. Provenance: T. Clemence Collection, New Zealand

A Massim Club, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea, (early…

Massim Club from Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea

A Massim Club, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea, (early twentieth century), carved hardwood and natural earth pigments, 63 cm long. Provenance: Muriel Larner, Cairns. Acquired from above by Dr Peter Elliott, 1970. Exhibited: Art of Massim Region of…

A carved club, middle Sepik River area, finely carved from…

Sepik River Carved Club with Lizard/Crocodile Face

A carved club, middle Sepik River area, finely carved from hardwood with a face at the top which has a lizard or crocodile touching the chin, lower down is a second smaller face and traditional Sepik designs over the entire front. The reverse has remnants…

A Massim black ebony dance club, scroll and oval motif to base,…

Massim Ebony Dance Club with Scroll and Oval Motif

A Massim black ebony dance club, scroll and oval motif to base, chip to finial, 53 cm long

Four New Guinea axe blades and a stone Battle club, the largest…

New Guinea Axe Blades and Stone Battle Club Set

Four New Guinea axe blades and a stone Battle club, the largest 23 cm

Old spatulate club from the Trobriand Islands, dark hardwood…

Trobriand Island Spatulate Club

Old spatulate club from the Trobriand Islands, dark hardwood with incised decoration, approx 75 cm long

Old New Guinea wooden club, approx 35 cm long

Vintage New Guinea Wooden Club - 35cm

Old New Guinea wooden club, approx 35 cm long

A stone mortar and stone club head, Papua New Guinea 17 cm dia,…

Papua New Guinea Stone Mortar and Club Head

A stone mortar and stone club head, Papua New Guinea 17 cm dia, 12 cm dia

Four Papua New Guinea artifacts comprising a cassowary mounted…

Papua New Guinea Ceremonial Artifacts

Four Papua New Guinea artifacts comprising a cassowary mounted ceremonial head-dress, a club, a carved figure and a carved ceremonial horn

Papua New Guinea club. Bulbous form, hardwood with terminal…

Bulbous Papua New Guinea Club

Papua New Guinea club. Bulbous form, hardwood with terminal hilt. Collected 1950's. Length 117 cm

Papua New Guinea club. 'Pineapple' form head with terminal hilt…

Pineapple Club with Patina, Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea club. 'Pineapple' form head with terminal hilt to handle. Use patina. Collected 1950's. Length 112 cm

Wooden shaft club, one end of the shaft sharpened to a point,…

New Guinea Pineapple Club

Wooden shaft club, one end of the shaft sharpened to a point, fitted with a carved hardstone pineapple, on a fibre decorated tip, Ex Webster collection, catalogue description reads New Guinea Wbstr 1897 the numbers 471 length 115 cm long

New Britain 19th century stone head club, with tapering…

19th Century Stone Head Club with Cylindrical Shaft

New Britain 19th century stone head club, with tapering cylindrical shaft. Length 122 cm