Description:

Pacific Islands, Tonga, ca. 20th century CE. An impressive and sizeable tapa cloth bearing the coat of arms or national seal of Tonga flanked by a pair of doves with olive wreaths and rifles below, and all surrounded by a geometric motif border. Though there is no official specification of how exactly the arms should look, many follow similar programs as the one seen here with a royal crown of Tonga and olive leaves as the crest, a blazon comprised of a central mullet of 3 points and then quarters containing 3 mullets of 6 points, the royal crown of Tonga, a dove, and 3 swords, and 2 flags of Tonga as supporters. The country's motto is inscribed near the bottom, reading "KO E OTUA MO TONGA KO HOKU" translating to "God and Tonga are my inheritance." Size: 58.9" L x 47" W (149.6 cm x 119.4 cm)

Provenance: private San Francisco, California, USA collection, acquired 1970s to 2000s

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.

#174012

  • Condition: Some separation of layers of cloth in areas, light fraying, and staining. Expected fold marks and creases. Otherwise, intact and excellently preserved with clear decoration.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

September 1, 2022 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 26.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000