Tribal Art Appraisal & Sales

If you are looking for advice on buying or selling Tribal Art, but not sure where to begin then a discussion with our specialists is a great place to begin. 

Whether you are looking to buy or sell, wishing to begin a collection or add to an existing collection, or have a work of Tribal Art you would like identified, we are available to meet with you to discuss your requirements. So call us direct:

Guy Earl-Smith on 0421 476 848 or
David Longfield on 0410 519 685.

In which areas do we work

In Australia, we are surrounded by rich artistic cultures and a wealth of beautiful Tribal Art, some of which dates back many hundreds of years. Since 2000 Guy Earl-Smith Art & Antiquity has sold museum quality works of Tribal Art with excellent provenance from indigenous cultures across Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, Africa, and Australasia.

These works of art have included: magnificent masks and ceremonial adornments from the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea; wood carvings from the Dyak and Iban peoples of Borneo; finely-carved spatulas, ancestor figures, animal sculptures and stools from the Massim people of the Trobriand Islands; ancestor sculptures from the islands of Timor and Flores and from Laos; body ornaments, cava bowls and necklaces from the Fijian Islands, and the mesmerising stone and timber sculptures from Indonesia's Sumba Island.

We have also offered for sale a variety of adorned heads, bead and sennit (woven fibre) decorated bowls, battle clubs, shields, neck rests, musical instruments, hair and body ornaments from other Islands in the region such as the Polynesian, Micronesian and Melanesian cultures.

The appraisal process

An appraisal or discussion about selling a work of tribal art begins with either actually viewing the work or providing photographs of it.

If we are not able to view the actual work for any reason, then it is useful to provide a selection of photographs that show the work of art in as much detail as possible. These photographs might include front, side, rear and underside angles. It can sometimes be difficult, but try to capture as much detail of the texture, patina or true colour. A good way to capture these elements is to photograph the item in natural daylight – in the shade as opposed to full sun. 

Provenance

Another critical element of the appraisal is for you to provide us with details of the provenance of the work. In other words, information about where the work was acquired.

This may be detail such as that you purchased it from a dealer or shop in Australia or overseas. You may have purchased it overseas from a market, in which case some detail of that time and place is useful. Alternatively, you may have had the work of art in your family for many years. If that is the case then we suggest trying to ascertain as much detail as possible from family members about where it was acquired. 

Provenance is one of the key factors in working out the potential value of an item, so the more information you have, the better. 

Buyer's agent

Alternatively, you may be searching for a particular piece of tribal art but having trouble finding it. A good way to begin is to find a photograph of a similar item online and either send us the image or drop in to discuss what you are looking for in more detail.

Due to our many years in the business, we have a great number of contacts that we are able to call upon to let them know we have a potential buyer for a work of tribal art they own. Think of us a little like a buyers agent in this scenario.

Open days

Each Tuesday our Woollahra auction rooms are open for you to bring in your Tribal Art for appraisal, or to discuss new acquisitions you might be considering or searching for. These meetings are confidential and by appointment only. This ensures that you receive dedicated time to ask questions and discuss your collecting requirements with our appraisers.

To book an appointment with our appraiser to discuss Tribal Arts call:

Guy Earl-Smith on 0421 476 848 or
David Longfield on 0410 519 685.

Alternatively, please click below to request a callback. Simply enter your name, number and a suitable day and time for us to return your call.