LOS ANGELES, CA.- When the 2017 San Francisco Tribal & Textile Art Show opens at Fort Mason Center on February 9, an eye-alluring range of ancient artifacts from Primary Source will take center stage. Running through February 12, the San Francisco Tribal & Textile Art Show is the largest, most comprehensive and rigorously vetted fair in the United States. 

Says John Strusinski, who founded Los Angeles-based Primary Source 28 year ago, “The Tribal & Textile Art Show is a must-attend destination for top collectors, museum curators, scholars and design aficionados who seek top-notch material. They know from experience what my gallery has to offer, and this year we’re especially delighted to showcase one-of-kind treasures that the fair-goers are not likely to forget.” 

Among the Primary Source highlights are: 

Dewi Sri Goddess, Hardwood, Traditional Pigments & Copper Adornments, West Bali, Circa 1900. (Primary Source)

This figure of the Goddess Sri was carried into the temple after she was placed on top of an offering tray filled with fruits and flowers. Embodying everything that is feminine, Sri is the goddess of fertility and the rice fields. 

Sword Handle with an Ancestral Guardian, Deer Antler & Fiber, East Borneo, Circa 19th Century

A warrior’s most important possession was his sword, and the jungle dwellers of Borneo always carried their blade with them. This handle is large and elaborate and was the heirloom of a chief. Never used for everyday practical purposes, it was instead displayed with the sword on important ritual occasions. 

Crouched Rabbit of Granite, Found in a Kyoto Garden, Japan, Circa 1850. (Primary Source)

The Japanese believe that when the moon is full there is a rabbit making rice flour—which can be seen in that moon. The rabbit is much admired and is frequently represented all through the arts of Japan. This large sculpture is tranquil yet subtly poised, as if to act, and it illustrates a paradox: the serene and dynamic energies of the rabbit existing simultaneously, a tension intended by the stone carver. 

Shrine Guardian, Wood & Red Pigment, Modang People, East Borneo, Circa 19th Century. (Primary Source)

This figure, with its outer-worldly countenance, was the protective symbol of a sarcophagus. It is a composite of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic references. 

Antique Ceramic Storage Jar, Glazed Stoneware with Marine Adhesions, South China, circa 14th century 

These rare jars were found in the South China Seas off the coast of Java.