UK. SEPTEMBER 2025. Woolley & Wallis auctioneers in the UK are to offer the unique opportunity to acquire works from the private collection of one of the key figures in indigenous art in Australia, the late Leonhard Adam (1891–1960). The German-born lawyer and anthropologist, who became an internationally recognised authority on indigenous art, amassed one of the most important private collections of Indigenous art ever assembled and was the author of the best-selling book ‘Primitive Art’.
Adam’s legacy is deeply intertwined with Australia. Deported and interned during the Second World War, he went on to transform his exile into a groundbreaking career. On his release he was awarded a scholarship to study and catalogue Aboriginal artefacts at the National Museum of Victoria, before his passion and knowledge led to him founding a museum of Indigenous art at the University of Melbourne, one of the first of its kind in the country. His work placed Aboriginal art on the world stage, challenging Eurocentric views and marking its rightful place within the history of art.
A Tonga / Samoa tapa cloth from the acclaimed Leonhard Adam collection
Estimate £200-£300 (lot 110)
Berlin-born Adam ‘s interest in tribal art began at age 16 on a trip to the Berlin Museum and developed into a lifelong passion. After school he would rush to the museum to sketch objects in the various departments. As anthropology was not considered an accepted subject to pursue at the time, he entered Greifswald University in North Germany to study law. Here he obtained a doctorate and went on to become a district judge. As he was part Jewish, he fled Nazi Germany in 1938, along with 2,500 Jewish refugees labelled ‘enemy aliens’, who were sent from England to Australia aboard the infamous troopship Dunera.
On his release from refugee internment, he went to Tatura to take part in an ethnographic project with Professor Max Crawford at the University of Melbourne. He joined as a scholar (1943-1947) and became a lecturer (1947-1956), then a part-time curator of the ethnographic collection (1958-1960). His dedication to the improvement of the ethnological collection at the University led to its renaming as the Leonhard Adam Ethnological Collection.
Among the highlights of the works going up for auction is an Iatmul flute stopper, a carved, wooden stopper that seals the top of a sacred, long bamboo flute used by the Iatmul people of the Middle Sepik River in Papua New Guinea. The Iatmul people have lived along the Sepik for at least the last 1,000 years and 10,000 remain there today, some still in traditional villages and others living in nearby towns. Their culture, though adapting to modernity, remains vibrant, particularly known for its traditional wood carvings, spirit houses, and ritualistic practices.
Rather than being purely decorative, these flute stoppers were central to the flute’s function and cultural meaning. They were often carved in the likeness of ancestors or revered animals, such as the eagle-hawk. Decorated with feathers, shells and natural pigments, the stoppers were used in important ceremonies where the flute was played to invoke the presence of an ancestral spirit. This example is carved as a standing male figure with a bird on his shoulders and is inset with shell bead eyes and pigment decoration. It carries an estimate of £500-£800 (lot 96).
A carved wooden mortar and pestle from the Massim region of Papua New Guinea is evidence of the significance of betel nut chewing, a practice central to daily and ceremonial life in the region. Betel nut is practised (still to this day), not only for its stimulating effect, but also for its role in encouraging conversation, perfuming the breath, quelling hunger and marking beauty through the vivid red stain it leaves on the mouth. The carved wooden example in the sale is decorated with an open entwined scaley body with two heads and includes a lime spatula finial decorated with lime (which was used as a nod to the ceremonial face paint worn at ceremonies). The Massim infuse even everyday objects with artistry, spirituality and social meaning and this piece embodies that. It carries an estimate of £150-£200 (lot 106).
Axes in the Massim region were primarily for ceremonial use rather than for practical duties like woodcutting, which required the stronger iron-made tools. The polished blade was the most prized component, with an elaborate carved wooden handle serving as a temporary, decorative holder during ceremonies, after which it was often cast off. A set of three in the sale carry an estimate of £100-£200 (lot 109).
Amulets produced by the people along the Ramu River were carved wooden ‘charms’ in the form of figures, masks and other objects, used to connect with ancestral spirits, provide protection and to serve as powerful symbols of spiritual belief. These artifacts, often unique to the individual carver’s vision and the specific village tradition, were often personal deities carried by individuals for protection during daily activities, like hunting. They were also used in ceremonies, or to act as a vehicle to communicate with the spirit world. Four examples in the sale of various sizes carry an estimate of £300-£400 (lot 101).
In Tonga and Samoa, women crafted traditional tapa cloths, known as ‘ngatus’ or ‘siapos’ from the inner bark of paper mulberry trees. Through a painstaking process of stripping, soaking and beating the bark, they created large, non-woven sheets used for clothing, blankets and ceremonial offerings. Beyond their practical function, these cloths remained a powerful expression of cultural identity and artistic heritage in the Pacific Islands. A highly decorative example in the sale features geometric forms, leafage and archways and carries an estimate of £200-£300 (lot 110).
The works across the collection reflect Adam’s unwavering respect for Indigenous creativity. They also stand as a testament to a period when Adam felt indigenous voices were too often marginalised, however there is no doubt that his dedication ensured their cultural and artistic brilliance was highlighted and recognised.
Will Hobbs, “Adam’s name is synonymous with the study of Indigenous art and this sale offers a rare chance to own a valuable piece of that legacy. Given the rarity and cultural significance of the works, we anticipate interest from around the globe.” The works will be offered in Day 1 of the Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas and Antiquities sale at Woolley and Wallis on Wednesday September 17, 2025 (lots 75–155).