A few examples of appraisal values for
SACRED TREASURES

• OLD MASTER UNFRAMED RELIGIOUS
  OLD MASTER UNFRAMED RELIGIOUS ENGRAVINGS, 5PC Various artists, selection of five 16th/17th century Old Master unframed religious Old and New Testament engravings on laid paper, including the second vision, Esdras finding comfort with the angel - "By the angel... he knows" (Esdras, chapter ten verse twenty-five), circa 1585, from "The Treasure Of The Sacred History Of The Old Testament, Expressed In The Most Elegant Images Of The Most Excellent Works Of Men In This Art, Is Now First Brought To Light", after Maarten de Vos (Flemish 1532-1603), published by Gerard de Jode (Netherlandish/Belgian 1509-1591) and the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes, "The five loaves, and the fishes, and the two. They feed the bodies of five thousand men" (John, Chapter six, verse nine), circa 1643, published by Claes Jansz Visscher (Netherlandish, 1587-1652), some with visible watermarks. Approx. Multiplication of the loaves and the fishes h. 9.5", w. 14.5".
• AMERICAN INDIAN ART 15PC MAGAZINE
  AMERICAN INDIAN ART 15PC MAGAZINE AND BOOK GROUP: 10 1/2"H X 8 1/2"W X 7/8"D (ALASKA NATIVE ART)American Indian art 15pc magazine and book group:, Sacred Circles, North American Showing, 1977; Antiques & Fine Art magazine, Feb. 1989; Style 1900 magazine, winter/spring 2004; Sotheby's Pre-Columbian and American Indian Art auction catalogue, May 17 & 18, 2000; Christie's New York American Indian Art auction catalogue, Wednesday, June 5, 1996; Warman's North American Indian Artifacts Identification & Price Guide, Russell E. Lewis, 2006; American Indian Art magazine, spring 2009; American Indian Art magazine, Autumn 2010; American Indian Art magazine, summer 2005; By Native Hands: Woven Treasures from the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, 2005; Western Art & Architecture magazine, fall/winter 2009; Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery, Rick Dillingham, 1995; Indian Baskets, Sarah Peabody Turnbaugh & William A. Turnbaugh, 2004; Navajo Rugs, Don Dedera,1990; Alaska Native Art, Susan W. Fair, 2006. Dimensions: 10 1/2"H x 8 1/2"W x 7/8"D (Alaska Native Art)
• JAPAN ‘ORDER OF THE SACRED TREASURE
  JAPAN ‘ORDER OF THE SACRED TREASURE (ZUIHOSHO)’ BADGE SIZE: 53 X 53 MMJapan ‘Order of the Sacred Treasure (Zuihosho)' Badge, Composed of silver and enamel. Dimensions: Size: 53 x 53 mm
• OUTSTANDING HUARI / TIWANAKU
  OUTSTANDING HUARI / TIWANAKU MUMMY BUNDLE HEADPre-Columbian, Coastal Peru, Huari (Wari) or Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco) culture, ca. 600 to 1000 CE. An incredible mummy head made of woven textiles and colorful feathers from jungle birds! The head was once a ceremonial funerary mask / covering for presumably a male and elite member of society. The striking visage is comprised of brown camelid wool- likely alpaca or llama, with a cotton plain weave layer secured on top, and protruding wooden nose - all of which is then covered in applied feathers of vibrant red, blue, white, black, yellow, orange, and green - likely from tropical parrots, such as macaws, imported from the rainforests. The headdress is stuffed with cotton fabric and then wrapped in a red plain weave cloth, a leather sling or tump line attached as a headband. This funerary piece was laid to rest as the head of a person of some importance or wealth - the feathers were a precious commodity, prized for their colors and iridescence that resembled gold and silver! Size: 11" L x 9" W x 11" H (27.9 cm x 22.9 cm x 27.9 cm); 14" H (35.6 cm) on included custom stand. Burials discovered all along the arid coast of Peru indicate that the deceased were accompanied by offerings of ceramics, garments, featherwork, precious metals and wood. A mask or false head was ritualistically placed over the mummy bundle to give a face to the deceased. Due to the dry climate artifacts made of wood, feather, and textile -such as this stunning example - have been remarkably preserved! Colorful feathers were prized materials in Andean cultures and used by the elite for clothing and ornaments. Avian motifs and the use of feathers were symbolic in Andean cultures, for birds were sacred animals that could fly between worlds and were messengers for the gods. These ancient cultures had a complex relationship with birds – especially the rainforest species - their stunning plumage was highly desirable and worth nearly the same as precious metals. It is possible that live, caged birds as well as their plucked feathers were imported from the lower altitudes to supply this demand. According to the 2018 article "When Feathers Were the Treasures of the Rainforest" by Christine Giuntini, published on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website: "Neotropical ornithologists have identified some of the birds whose feathers were used in these creations. Generally the brightly colored feathers come from birds living in the rainforests at lower altitudes along the eastern slopes of the Andes and into the vast Amazon River basin. The distinctive size and shape of the iridescent blue-green and hair-like yellow feathers (see the first image in this post) on all the examples have been identified as from the blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna). The orange-red feathers are often identified as being from the scarlet macaw (Ara macao), although other species are also possible. Green feathers can be harvested from many species of Amazon parrots. Black and white feathers are difficult to identify, for the obvious reason that many birds sport such plumage and, additionally, feather workers sometimes trimmed the feathers in order to sharpen the design, thus destroying the distinctive silhouette." Provenance: private Superior, Colorado, USA collection, ex- MS collection San Diego, California, USA acquired before 1985 with appraisal from Stendahl Gallery in 1985. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #175695 Condition: Losses to feathers around nose and chin strap of face, discoloration and staining to cloth and feathers - white cotton chin area is brown with age. Small tears and pulls to the red headdress fabric which are hidden in the folds. Slight odor to the head. The lower head area is stuffed with modern cloth to retain its shape and pinned to a modern brown cloth for mounting on the stand. Cloth is fragile and we recommend storing in a protective case to preserve the fabrics and feathers.
• 2PC JAPANESE GEORGE YAMAOKA
  2PC JAPANESE GEORGE YAMAOKA DOCUMENT & SCROLL Japan,Early 20th CenturyIncludes a document awarded to George Yamaoka for achieving second class of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, and a scroll depicting a woman in white adorned with gold jewelry.
• SHOZO SATO, JAPAN (20TH / 21ST
  SHOZO SATO, JAPAN (20TH / 21ST CENTURY), BAMBOO, NOV '81, SUMI-E INK WASH ON PAPER, 16 1/2"H X 14 3/4"W (SIGHT), 21 1/2"H X 19 1/2"W (FRAME)Shozo Sato, Japan, (20th / 21st Century) bamboo, Nov '81, Sumi-e ink wash on paper signed and dated lower left. Biography from the University of Illinois. Shozo Sato was Artist in Residence at Krannert Center from its opening in 1969 until his retirement in 1992. During his first decade at Krannert Center, he presented traditional Kabuki plays and dances, which he translated into English, designed, and directed. Beginning with Kabuki Macbeth in 1978, he turned to adaptations of western classics with Kabuki conventions. His highly successful productions in this style include Kabuki Medea, Kabuki Faust, Kabuki Othello, and Achilles: A Kabuki Play. These productions, which Mr. Soto conceived, designed, and directed, earned international acclaim and have been presented by professional companies around the world. In February 1991, he returned to his native Japan with Illinois Kabuki Theatre's production of Achilles: A Kabuki Play, the first Kabuki production by a major American company to be performed in Japan. Since retiring from the University of Illinois, Shozo Sato has continued to be involved in cross-cultural activities, both nationally and internationally. Iago's Plot was developed during a semester-long residency at Towson State University in Maryland and has been staged in Baltimore; Cairo, Egypt; and Weimar, Germany. Mr. Sato also directed Kabuki Medea in Chicago in 1994 and in Durban, South Africa, in 1993. Shozo Sato has won numerous honors, including Chicago's Joseph Jefferson, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, Hollywood Drama Guild, South Africa's Vita, and Baltimore Sun awards for directing and design. Iago's Plot won the Critic's Choice for Best Director at the Cairo International Experimental Theatre Festival. In 1993 he was awarded the Sidney R. Yates Arts Advocacy Award by the Illinois Arts Alliance Foundation, and in 1992, the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs awarded him the Certificate of Commendation for his promotion of Japanese culture throughout the world. In May of 2004, he received The Order of the Sacred Treasure with Rosette from the Emperor of Japan. Shozo Sato received his dramatic training at the Toho Academy of Performing Arts in Tokyo and as a special student of the late Kabuki actor Nakamura, Kanzaburo XVII, a National Treasure of Japan. In 1985 he was honored as a Kabuki artist by being officially adopted into the Kabuki family of Nakamura and given the name Nakamura, Kanzo IV. He is also a master of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, Ikebana (flower arrangement), and Sumi-e (back ink painting). Mr. Sato was the founding director of Japan House, a Japanese cultural center serving the University of Illinois and surrounding communities. Sumi-e ink wash on paper Dimensions: 16 1/2"H x 14 3/4"W (sight), 21 1/2"H x 19 1/2"W (frame)
• 20TH C. DRC HEMBA KUSU WOOD POWER
  20TH C. DRC HEMBA KUSU WOOD POWER FIGURE, EX-DARTEVELLE...Central Africa, Dominican Republic of Congo, Hemba / Kusu peoples, ca. mid-20th century CE. A fantastic and fascinating wooden power figure known as a kakudji, skillfully hand-sculpted and adorned in a textile skirt and headdress. Boasting a rich, espresso-hued surface, the intriguing figure places both hands on his distended abdomen as he gazes forth, jutting out his prominent pointed chin. His sizeable head features slender eyes beneath arched brows, a naturalistic nose, a gentle smile, and a short beard, all flanked by a pair of large ears and supported by a thick, tubular neck atop broad shoulders. An elaborate headdress crowns the figure, featuring a projecting back section that has been carved into a grid and a cylindrical, tiered top, capped by a bulbous bulk of "magical substances" wrapped in textile. Another cloth ties below his belly, right before the figure expands to rest on an annular base. Size: 3.9" W x 12.5" H (9.9 cm x 31.8 cm); 15.5" H (39.4 cm) on included custom stand. Intended to serve as receptacles or vessels for spirit beings, kakudji are made in a diverse variety of forms, including Janus-headed, attached to a calabash, or carried as a portable amulet. Specific kakudji are prescribed and consecrated by spiritual mediums to meet the needs of an individual or a family and aid in matters of illness, infertility, or to guarantee safety and success when hunting. These power figures serve as important reminders that their deceased ancestors are continually protecting and assisting them in their daily life, and thus are kept in the household and safeguarded by the head or father of a family who then passes it down to his son. Highly treasured relics, these sacred objects often last for several generations. This kakudji is a wonderful example of the Kasongo style, known for being most representative of what can be considered a "classical" or "pure" stylistic form. The textile atop the figure's head is most notable as it holds ingredients specially crafted by the medium to activate the spirit within. These substances are often kept in the heads of kakudji as the crown of the head is regarded as the site of communication with spirit entities. Provenance: private Jersey City, New Jersey, USA collection; ex-private North American collection; ex-private Brussels, Belgium collection; ex-Denise et Beppe Berna Gallery, Bologna, Italy; ex-Pierre Dartevelle collection, Brussels, Belgium All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm. Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #169912 Condition: Stable fissure to headdress, base, and verso of right shoulder. Some fraying, tearing, and minor losses to fabric. Expected surface wear with a few light nicks and scratches. Otherwise, intact and excellent with nice patina and light earthen deposits throughout.
• JAPAN ‘ORDER OF THE SACRED TREASURE
  JAPAN ‘ORDER OF THE SACRED TREASURE (ZUIHOSHO)’ BREAST STAR SIZE: 76 X 74 MM; WEIGHT: 59.3 DWTJapan ‘Order of the Sacred Treasure (Zuihosho)' Breast Star, Composed of silver and enamel. Signed on verso. Dimensions: Size: 76 x 74 mm; Weight: 59.3 dwt
• RARE 19TH C. CENTRAL ASIAN BRONZE
  RARE 19TH C. CENTRAL ASIAN BRONZE CEREMONIAL SUGAR AXE**Originally Listed At $1500** Near East / Central Asia, Iraq & Afghanistan, ca. 18th to 19th century CE. An incredibly rare and beautiful tool known as a sugar axe, cast from bronze with some remains of the iron blade embedded in the head. The slender handle is etched and drilled - the cavities likely once held glass or stone inlays- with geometric motifs and a relief stag projecting over the head - the curved tip is slotted for inserting the blade. Sugar axes were used to break up and pulverize sugar loaves into powder, this sweet "nectar of the gods" was introduced to the region about 1500 years ago, spreading from Southeast Asia into India then central Asia. The incised motifs are celestial; crescent moons and stars - perhaps a heavenly connection to ancient deities, and stags were associated with the sacred Tree of Life! Size: 11" L x 4.75" W (27.9 cm x 12.1 cm) The ritualistic axes known as "qandshekan" were treasured heirlooms that were passed down through generations, but due to modernization of sugar production - they have become very scarce and nearly obsolete! Ceremonial sugar axes, such as this, were cast from bronze or copper with ornate designs and often given as wedding gifts, while utilitarian everyday axes were simpler and usually made entirely of iron or steel. Breaking sugar loaves with an axe such as this was a ceremonial part of marriage rituals, and the sugar pieces were distributed to guests – like wedding cake in Western traditions! PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm. Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010 All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #175747 Condition: Missing iron blade tip. Age and use commensurate surface wear and nicks, but rest of bronze handle and head are intact and excellent. Surface is cleaned and coated in clear fixative. Missing inlays along handle and head. Green patina and dark toning throughout.