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The Late Bill Evans Collection, Sydney
Lot 58
Maker UnknownA war shield, Atkom, Frieda River, Telefomin, Mountain Ok, Upper Sepik River Papua New Guinea height: 183.0cm
27 August 2025, 14:00 AEST
SydneyAU$3,000 - AU$5,000
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Alex Clark
Head of Sale, Senior Specialist
Merryn Schriever
Managing Director, Australia
Maker Unknown, A war shield, Atkom, Frieda River, Telefomin, Mountain Ok, Upper Sepik River
Papua New Guinea
carved and engraved hardwood and natural pigments
height: 183.0cm
carved and engraved hardwood and natural pigments
height: 183.0cm
Footnotes
PROVENANCE
The John Magers Collection, Sydney
Vickers and Hoad, 18 March 2023, lot 46
Collection of the Late Bill Evans, Sydney
For the sale of the Collection of John Magers, his friend and colleague Bill Evans prepared the following biography:
'John Magers came to Australia with his family as an eight year old from post-war Latvia in 1948. He started collecting when working in New Guinea in the early 60's when many great artworks were still able to be found. He also acquired many great objects in Australia and on trips to the islands of the Pacific and was the source of many pieces sold to the leading dealers active in London, Paris and New York at the time. Although he was a very private man, he was well known internationally selling major pieces that ended up in institutions and important collections around the world including Aboriginal and Oceanic art to both the Australian Museum in Sydney and the NGA in Canberra, the Biwat Flute Stopper once in the Masco collection and currently on display at LACMA in Los Angeles, the Atei figure once in the Masco Collection, the wonderfully carved coconut gnuzu-gnuzu at the Sainsbury Collection in Norwich and numerous pieces in private collections around the world. With his wife Maree, he had an Oceanic Art gallery on Pitt St., Sydney in the 70's and Maree went on to lead the Lawson's Tribal Art sales in the 80's. John was a friend of mine and was a very kind and quiet man, what made him a successful collector and dealer was a great eye combined with the courage of his convictions.'