Estimate: $500 - $800
Price Realized: $512 Includes buyer's premium
An Australian Tiwi bark painting is rendered in natural earth ochres on a rectangular eucalyptus bark panel and features three stylized anthropomorphic figures with prominent circular heads and vertical striations for bodies, set against a background of multicolored dots representing ancestral spirits from the Tiwi Islands. The three-tiered stacked face or figure motif is a recognized stylistic innovation often associated with the work of Declan Apuatimi, whose bark paintings and sculptures frequently explore themes of Tiwi cosmology and the Purukuparli narrative. The panel is stabilized by traditional horizontal wooden supports at the top and bottom edges and is mounted in a clear acrylic display case.
bark, pigment, wood
16 3/4 x 24 1/4 inches
The Eugene and Dorothy Prakapas Estate, proceeds to benefit a scholarship fund at Yale University
Yale University Art Gallery label verso
The painting is in overall good condition within its contemporary acrylic display case, exhibiting characteristic natural curvature and surface irregularities to the bark support along with localized areas of pigment thinning, though the piece has not been removed from its framing for further inspection
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Condition reports are based on visual inspection by the Capsule team under typical office lighting. Unless otherwise noted, items are not examined under UV light in advance of sale. We do not guarantee the content of written or verbal condition reports. Remember, all lots are previously owned and all sales are final. The absence of a condition report does not imply that there are no condition issues with the lot.
Art has not been examined out of the frame unless otherwise stated. Frames, lampshades, or items described as “supplementary” are not considered integral to the value of the lot and are excluded from condition assessments. This includes any mat, mounting, glazing, hanging apparatus, case, box, or stand. Timepiece movements, lighting elements and items with mechanical or electrical components have not been thoroughly tested and are not covered under warranty by Capsule.
Acrylic shadowbox, dimensions: 18 1/2 x 28 1/2 x 4
