18. Yüzyıl Polinezya Saç ve Balina Kemikli Kolye £15'lik Etiketinden £99,000'a Satıldı
Avustral Adaları'ndan 18. yüzyıla tarihlenen, insan saçı ve balina kemiğinden yapılmış kolye, £15'lik bir fiyat etiketiyle karavan satışına yönelmek üzereyken Ewbank’s müzayedesine getirildi ve £99,000'a satıldı.
Necklace, crafted from human hair and sperm whale bone, dates to the late 18th century and originates from the Austral Islands in the South Pacific. It was uncovered during a house‑clearance operation and initially priced at £15 as part of a lot destined for a local car‑boot market.
The item was brought to Ewbank’s auctioneers in Surrey by the clearance firm’s owner, who was unaware of its cultural value. Senior partner Chris Ewbank identified it as a rare example of Polynesian material culture, a category prized by collectors and museums, and set a pre‑sale estimate of £60‑£100.
During the auction, a French bidder using Ewbank’s live online platform competed with an Australian telephone bidder. After an intense bidding round, the hammer fell at £99,000, making it the highest sale recorded by Ewbank’s in 2016 and the most valuable result on its live‑bidding platform to date.
The outcome illustrates how provenance, age and material rarity can dramatically increase value in the tribal‑art market, and underscores the role of expert assessment in preventing significant objects from being undervalued in informal sales.
