By Roland Arkell
The currently vibrant market for Oceanic art was made plain to staff at John Nicholson’s (24% buyer’s premium) of Fernhurst in February this year when a Maori putorino or bugle flute, estimated at £50-100, sold to French dealer for £140,000. Surely, similar good fortune would not be repeated any time soon?
In fact, not long after that windfall sale the auctioneers were contacted by the owner of an archive of small Maori artefacts with an unbroken provenance dating back 180 years.