Context (CMS Context)
Held in hand in dance ceremonies;
Collected by: Dr A.C. Haddon possibly in 1898;

Event Date 17/11/1986
Author: maa

Description (CMS Description)
Card 1: 'GUB. Dance sticks (imperfect).'
Card 2: 'Two sticks cut into segmented shapes. Segments coloured alternately red, black, and natural. Incised chevron decoration on top segments.'

Two sticks cut into segmented shapes. Segments coloured alternately red, black, and natural. Incised chevron decoration on top segments. Top broken; Broken
Event Date 17/11/1986
Author: maa

Context (Amendments / updates)
Meriam added to cultural group field based on collection origin of Mer.
Event Date 18/3/2021
Author: rachel hand

Context (References)
Card noted ' Ref. Plate: 250'.

'A great variety of decorated staves are often carried in the hand, some are simple sticks or poles variously painted and sometimes decorated with a tuft of feathers, others are carved, and though now carried in dances which are apparently of a purely secular character they have every appearance of being reminiscent of symbolic objects belonging to ceremonial dances.'

Haddon, A.C. (ed.) (1908) Reports of the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits, Vol. IV Arts and Crafts. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 294, cf fig. 260 (B)
Event Date 18/3/2021
Author: rachel hand

Context (Amendments / updates)
Register noted 'dance sticks' and it appears that the two sticks are each an individual object rather than two halves of a single object.

However, the illustration of a complete stick in Haddon (ed. 1901:294, fig. 250) is 166cm long), so they may be part of the same object. Until this is confirmed a record has been created or each object though it is unclear if A and B are differentiated or marked as such.

Event Date 18/3/2021
Author: rachel hand

Description (Physical description)
Register noted 'dance sticks' and it appears that the two sticks are each an individual object rather than two halves of a single object.
Event Date 18/3/2021
Author: rachel hand