Featured Tlingit items? Weapons, Totems, Bowls

Im starting to see trends through this house.
Each room seems to have an overall "theme", but each room still has a lot of everything in it.
I was researching the woman who previously owned the stuff. She was a high end antique dealer who had a popular shop in Atlanta.
Everything in this house are items that don't seem to sell particularly well out there. Both her and her husband were dealers, she's a 3rd generation dealer.
I know she went to places and bought things, I saw somewhere shed gone up to new york and bought items so I don't see it out of her realm going NW and buying items, or even have inherited them..

Anyways, I got pictures of a few items and have been trying to study them..
I believe these specific items are tlingit.
I'm open to suggestions, comments, critique..
Please, dont hold back!


I think this is a tlingit killer whale dagger. The eyes i believe are mother of pearl




Wooden Bowl.
Its larger, the walls are thinner





Totem Poles
In this picture there appears to be another totem like carving behind it.
The house is so dark I didn't even notice it until looking back at the pictures.
It looks as though the mouths of the carving in the back are inlaid with coffee bean shells to create the mouth

I also believe this is covered in a powdery mold/ mildew. You can almost taste it in your mouth
It's weird, done things are perfectly fine, other singular objects are insanely covered. Any tips on properly cleaning this is welcomed! lol







Spears
Im not sure about these..
They are in the room with the whale dagger and the wall hanging totem.
I read the Tlinget Indians used spears so I'm going out on a limb here




Im not sure why these are coming up sideways.
My Pinterest account is bringing them up as upright.
I apologize.


But any help/suggestions/guidance on these items is greatly appreciated!

 

I would wear a mask handling the mildewy carving.
Sorry I can't be any help but some of these carvings here in UK do very well in Auction. Shell in the whale dagger may be New Zealand Paua shell, love that piece and the spears.

 

Wow, that house is a treasure trove.
The dagger is a NW Coast whale killer dagger, Komo will know which nation. The eyes are inlaid with abalone. Paua is a specific species of black abalone, found in New Zealand, the shell has a more intense colour than this abalone.
The first totempole is too much covered with mildew for me to recognize, I like the bird though. I can't see the figure at the bottom, looks like something with crab claws.
The one behind it is not a totem pole, but a very elaborate food hook from Papua New Guinea, possibly Iatmul or another tribe from the Sepik River area. The shells are cowri shells.
The pole with the long beak would have been part of a wall of a house, I think, but again, Komo will know more about it.
The spears are harpoons.

 

Are these items old or high end reproductions?

 

Reproduction is a difficult concept in ethnographic art. I don't know what a reproduction of these items would be. I can only say these art forms evolve, just like any art form. Even more so after contact with outsiders, new tools, new materials. And then there are fakes, which are just that, fake.
The Sepik food hook is genuine. The style is like the Sepik art my parents used to have, made ca 1970. It is difficult to find antique Papua art. This is a very collectible piece, even though the style had already become more elaborate through the use of modern (hand)tools and demand from trade.
@komokwa will know more about the NW Coast pieces.

 

While it is true that many Tlingit fighting knives have wood or bone or ivory carved pommels...& some are wrapped in cord....and some were made of copper......it's not these.



This large fluted style is the ultimate expression of the Tlingit metal smith , and they were usually given names and passed down thru the generations.

These were meant to kill , and are one piece of steel, sharp at both ends, decorated with copper....leather....& sometimes abalone or shell.

Yours will never be mistaken for one of these.....and is a more modern reproduction.
( while I can offer no concrete proof.....the knife maybe also be an Indonesian creation....meant to fool the public.)

The large wall totem is a reproduction .....likely from Indonesia.

The harpoons are Pacific Island......& do not seem to have much age.

The PNG meat hook also seems newer, as they 'were' decorated....but with less paint and more wear.

The white totem is also a Pacific Island creation...

The bowl.....that may be the charmer here.
From what I can make out...it's Pacific Island....& looks old...but as of yet I can't place it !

 

Well that's a disappointment on the knife, but there was that feeling it wasn't what it seemed..
We still need to sell it though.
What would an accurate way of representing it?

 

Tlingit STYLE fluted war knife.....

 

I'd agree, no PNW items here, everything seems to be from the South Pacific, Papua New Guinea, or Indonesia, and represents a range from authentic Sepik River style carvings to Indonesian fakes.

The bowl might be from the Trobriand Islands. The wood looks right, as does the bowl form itself, and the carving style.

 

Couldn't remember the origin of the bowl, one of those things that suddenly come to you when you're doing something else. It is from Tami Island in the Huon Gulf, Papua New Guinea.
Here is one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/231949221221?rmvSB=true

Another one:

http://www.zenakruzick.com/oceanic-tribal-art/oceanic_art_huon_gulf_bowl-6047details.htm

 

Whuuut?!

What is pricing factors?
They have 2 the same size..
$500 for one $900 for the other?

 

And then this one only sold for $22
http://m.ebay.com/itm/PNG-Superb-Ol...%3Ad7144dd715d0a991b847f2d8ffffec9c%7Ciid%3A1

 

There are many things to consider when talking about value, size is only a minor one. And there is always a difference between value and price.

 

this one is poorly executed ....& newer.

 

Probably a tourist piece. Huon Gulf is a tourist area.

 

the 500 $ one is nicer...but no offers....so..just an asking price which is not tempting anyone to steal it away !

the $900...is a GALLERY price.....and while a lovely example...again..is just an asking price....with maybe a little more expertise behind it !!

 

The bowl I have looks to be older?
Are there ways to tell?

 

Late to the party, but I agree with Komo and Taupou, (as usual).

Regarding the knife, "Tlingit style" dagger is indeed good wording; these have been extensively faked in recent years

Yes

I'd agree, not NW Coast, but nice.