Gallery | Boxes

Carved hardwood L:63cm, W:20cm, H:25cm Late 19th- early 20th Century An outstanding and fully realized double-headed ritual box. While most boxes rely on the power of suggestion, this outstanding box is a fully realized double-headed box in the shape of a Cordillera Pig. The long snout and short ears, the stubby legs, the downward curving belly, even the thick encrustation on the body and the heads---all these are in fact, references to the black native pigs that were required sacrificial offerings. Anyone who has been to an Ifugao village has probably seen these animals wandering around, snouts to the ground, sniffing for food. The similarity heightens the importance of both the living animal, as well as the artistic form of the punamhan, as a component of the ritual. Inside are three black and white feathers of the Philippine eagle, once common in the Cordillera. Provenance: George Schenk, Banaue Thierry David Floy Quintos

Carved hardwood L: 57 cm, W: 20 cm, H: 17 cm Mid-20th century An unusual punamhan in the form of a crouching ancestor figure with feet and hands upturned, as if trussed up. Grooves lead to the handle on top. Provenance: Private Philippine collection Floy Quintos Literature: de Montbrison et al., pp. 227 ff.; Anderson, pp. 149 ff. 189

Carved hardwood L: 38 cm, W: 21 cm, H: 20 cm Late 19th century An elegant rectangular box with long, sloping pig heads that taper at the ends. Provenance: Private Philippine collection Floy Quintos Literature: de Monbrison et al., pp. 250 ff.; Anderson, pp. 148 ff. 121 Exhibited: Drawing Room Gallery Manila, November 2017

Carved hardwood L:20cm, W:7cm, H:14cm Early 20th Century A very old wooden kopit with a “secret” compartments inside. Provenance: Floy Quintos

Carved hardwood L: 52 cm, W: 30 cm, H: 28 cm 19th century A grooved meat container with two dog heads, the barrel-shaped body shows damage (rats gnawing) at the edges. Fine grooves appear along the voluminous body with stocky short legs, and the heads feature small porcelain inserts. The charging animal exudes pure power. Provenance: Floy Quintos Literature: Anderson, pp. 181 ff. Published: Arts of Asia, January/February 2017, p. 50

Carved hardwood L: 54 cm, W: 20 cm, H: 23 cm Late 19th century A heavy, voluminous ritual box with two stylised heads (possibly boar or dog) with wide grooves. The heavy and deep patina provides a pattern, which in itself is sculptural. Here, as in many other examples, the simplicity translates directly into power. Provenance: Private collection of Tadashi Morita, Tokyo Yann Ferrandin, Paris Literature: de Monbrison et al., pp. 250 ff.; Anderson, pp. 149 ff. Published: Arts of Asia, January/February 2017, p. 48

Carved hardwood L: 72 cm, W: 20 cm, H: 29cm 18th century or earlier An important figurated ritual box with short legs and two stylised swine heads. A V-shaped representation of the loose skin of dewlap hangs from the neck. The eyes on one head are marked by porcelain shards. The great age of the hardwood box is confirmed by the solid and heavy encrustation covering up damage to one ear and leg. The most remarkable detail is the crouching human figure on the lid. Provenance: Private collection of Tadashi Morita, Tokyo Yann Ferrandin, Paris Literature: de Monbrison et al., pp. 247 ff.; Anderson pp. 149 ff.; Islands and Ancestors, front page (Nias, Indonesia) Published: Arts of Asia, January/February 2017, pp. 48

Carved hardwood L: 48 cm, W: 18 cm, H: 21 cm 19th century The treatment of the smiling double pig (or possibly dog) heads is more bold and animated than in most known pieces. The ears in this very rare hardwood piece with encrustation are larger and rounder than in most depictions. The cover is peaked and has a hole for the fingers, which allows it to be raised up more easily. The architecture and geometry of the body are essentially based on planes. Provenance: Private collection of Tadashi Morita, Tokyo Yann Ferrandin, Paris Literature: de Monbrison et al., pp. 250 ff.; Anderson, pp. 148 ff. Published: Arts of Asia, January/February 2017, p. 53 Arts of Asia, November/December 2017, p. 8, Editorial

Carved hardwood L: 72 cm, W: 22.5 cm, H: 36 cm Late 19th century The heads featured on this large box are affixed to long necks. The body of the box has grooves running in a U-shaped pattern. Below the heads is a different set of grooves radiating from a central point. The long face (animal not identifiable) appears to be smiling, with small ears and incisions. Provenance: Private collection of Tadashi Morita, Tokyo Yann Ferrandin, Paris Literature: de Monbrison et al., pp. 250 ff.; Anderson, pp. 148 ff. Published: Arts of Asia, March/April 2017

Carved hardwood L: 47.5 cm, W: 18.5 cm, H: 19.5 cm 19th century or earlier In terms of stylisation, this box is unique. The animal heads are treated in a very abstract manner. When the entire box is viewed with the appendages projecting from the sides of the box, the deep V-shaped cleft in the middle of the head gives the appearance of two stylised heads instead of one. Only when the appendages are viewed from the front do the animal heads identify themselves as such. Carved from a medium hardwood there is a light crust of patina. Provenance: Private collection of Tadashi Morita, Tokyo Yann Ferrandin, Paris Literature: de Monbrison et al., pp. 250 ff.; Anderson, pp. 148 ff. Published.: Arts of Asia, January/February 2017, p. 46

Carved hardwood L:68cm, W:15.5cm, H:28cm 19th Century- Early 20th Century Large box. Very fine abstract and dynamic carving, encrusted patina Very good condition, small minor abrasions Provenance: Private collection of Mr Morita, Japan Yann Ferrandin, Paris

Carved hardwood L: 46 cm, W: 32 cm, H: 32 cm Mid to late 19th century Food container, most probably made by the Ifugao people. The narra wood has a dark patina and fine figurative carving on the side. This is a rare example of a pukok collected in situ at the end of the 1970s by Luciano Federico. Provenance: Luciano Federico Collection Rudolf Kratochwill Literature: Anderson, pp. 141 ff. Exhibited: Drawing Room Gallery Manila, November 2017 Date Acquired: November 2016

Carved hardwood L: 60 cm, W: 11 cm, H: 29.5 cm ca. 1890 Very rare, extremely gracious ceremonial box with long, beaklike zoomorphic heads (most likely pig or dog). Provenance: Private US collection Thomas Murray Literature: de Monbrison et al., pp. 256 ff.; Anderson, pp. 148 ff. Published: Apollo, July/August 2017

Carved Hardwood H: 36cm, W: 26cm, L: 27cm Early 20th Century Provenance: Rudolf Kratochwill