Fiji Basket-Hook or ililili Ex Ohly, London

An important basket-hook or ililili. The central section supporting the lower knob sprouting four dowel-like hooks is a large open-work diamond. Hooks of this type were used by the Fijians to suspend either food baskets or ceremonial items in order to preserve them from vermin. Suspension hooks of this type were used by the Fijians to suspend either food baskets or ceremonial items in order to preserve them from vermin. A hook of this caliber and stylistic representation can only have belonged to a man of importance.

Fiji Islands, Polynesia.
Hard wood, vesi (Intsia bijuga), with a thick crusty patina.
42,5 cm.
18th/19th century.

 

Provenance Ex William & Ernest Ohly, Berkeley Galleries, 20 Davies Street, London W1Y 1LH.London (1942-1977); by descent.

​​​​​​​William Ohly was born to a German-Jewish family in Kingston upon Hull, England, in 1883 before moving to Germany for his education. Fleeing rising anti-Semitism in 1933–1934, he relocated to London, where he became a pivotal figure in the art world. He established the Berkeley Galleries in 1941, showcasing ethnographic and contemporary works by artists, including Henry Moore, Vanessa Bell, and Frances Hodgkins; subsequently, in 1946, he founded the Abbey Art Centre, just outside London, supporting refugees and emerging artists.

Literature: See photos Berkeley Galleries and William Ohly