What is a Papuan sculpture worth?
Price guide from past auction results
Half of the 13 works by Papuan with a published auction price sold between $262Sign up free to see and $512Sign up free to see, and the median is $358Sign up free to see. For sculptures alone, the median is $338Sign up free to see across 12 sales. In the last five years the median was $358Sign up free to see across 13 sales. These are past auction results, not a valuation: medium, size, condition and provenance all change what a particular work brings.
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Papuan prices by medium
- Auction results
- 14
- Sold rate
- 93%
- Active at auction
- 2022–2026
- Median price
- $358Sign up free to see
- Record price
- $704Sign up free to see Ancestor head, Wright, Aug 2026
| Medium | Priced sales | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sculpture | 12 | $230–$550Sign up free to see | $338Sign up free to see |
Top auction houses: Wright (9), Toomey & Co. (4), Rago Auctions (1)
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Typical range is the middle half of priced sales (USD at the sale-date rate). Past auction results, not a valuation.
Prices by size
| Size (longest side) | Priced sales | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-size (30–75 cm) | 4 | $271–$560Sign up free to see | $415Sign up free to see |
| Large (75–150 cm) | 4 | $230–$288Sign up free to see | $263Sign up free to see |
| Very large (over 150 cm) | 3 | $523–$682Sign up free to see | $665Sign up free to see |
Recent Papuan sales
- Pedestal bowl, carved wood — $512Sign up free to see, Wright, Aug 11, 2026
- Collection of three objects, carved wood, woven and painted fiber, shells — $128Sign up free to see, Wright, Aug 11, 2026
- Ancestor head, carved and painted wood — $704Sign up free to see, Wright, Aug 11, 2026
- Boiken plates, set of two, carved wood — $64Sign up free to see, Wright, Apr 8, 2026
- Gope (spirit board), carved wood, pigment — $665Sign up free to see, Wright, Apr 8, 2026
- Ceremonial mask, wood, Cassowary feathers, vines — $445Sign up free to see, Wright, Dec 3, 2025
- Kundu (drum), carved and painted wood, lizard leather — $318Sign up free to see, Wright, Dec 3, 2025
- Gope (spirit board), carved and painted wood — $264Sign up free to see, Wright, Dec 3, 2025
Questions about Papuan prices
What is a Papuan sculpture worth?
Based on 13 priced auction sales recorded by ArtSell, works by Papuan have sold for a median of $358, and half of them sold between $262 and $512. For sculptures alone the median is $338 (12 sales). Medium, size, condition, subject and provenance all affect the price of a particular work; these are past auction results, not a valuation.
What is the most expensive work by Papuan sold at auction?
The highest price in ArtSell’s records is $704 for “Ancestor head” at Wright in August 2026.
How often do Papuan works sell at auction?
93% of the 14 lots recorded between 2022 and 2026 sold.
How can I sell a Papuan sculpture?
Request a free auction estimate on ArtSell: send photos and details, and our specialists will reply with an estimate. There is no obligation.
Papuan have appeared at auction 14 times in ArtSell’s records between 2022 and 2026; 13 sold, a sell-through rate of 93%.
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