Accession No
1930.504
Description
Spear-thrower - With semiovoid ornament. All wood, encrusted with black pigment, wood a reddish brown, showing through in places. Front end carved in form of bird's head and neck, then an expanded ring. Semiovoid ornament has small lip centre top, otherwise toothed top edge. Top border of wavyline band, raised ring in centre with small circles inside it before centre piercing. Double zigzag band carved round outside of shaft directly beneath this. Grooved section has flattish rather than concave face. Rear end tapers to rough knob. Pigment worn off. Original accession notes: " Ceremonial wooden spear-thrower. This stick is slightly bent. No groove or socket cut for spear; both surfaces left flat. Handle end of stick with bird head ornament (? duck, totemic). Stick with skeuomorph ornament where guide should be tied on. Guide with geometrical design and eyelet with remains of knotted string. ?Used at initiation of boys" Fair
Place
Oceania; Melanesia; Papua New Guinea; Middle Sepik; Malingai
Period
Source
Bateson, Gregory [collector and donor]
Department
Anth
Reference Numbers
1930.504; MAA: 1930.504
Cultural Affliation
T=Iatmul
Material
Wood
Local Term
MI NAU WAWIE KAINO
Measurements
Events
Context (CMS Context)
Decorative motifs: Bird (duck?): bird-headtop (curved1); bird-beak (curved2); bird-eyes (ovals1). Geom: zigzags2; wavylines2; toothed1; ovals33; ovals7. (For further details on motifs see Lovelace " Bateson Project" , Vol. I). Museum record photographs: F8,17, F22,35, F22,36. Basel Museum fur Volkerkunde numerical code: 15.1.6.1.; Collected by: Bateson.G;
Event Date 1/6/1996
Author: maa
Description (CMS Description)
With semiovoid ornament. All wood, encrusted with black pigment, wood a reddish brown, showing through in places. Front end carved in form of bird's head and neck, then an expanded ring. Semiovoid ornament has small lip centre top, otherwise toothed top edge. Top border of wavyline band, raised ring in centre with small circles inside it before centre piercing. Double zigzag band carved round outside of shaft directly beneath this. Grooved section has flattish rather than concave face. Rear end tapers to rough knob. Pigment worn off. Original accession notes: " Ceremonial wooden spear-thrower. This stick is slightly bent. No groove or socket cut for spear; both surfaces left flat. Handle end of stick with bird head ornament (? duck, totemic). Stick with skeuomorph ornament where guide should be tied on. Guide with geometrical design and eyelet with remains of knotted string. ?Used at initiation of boys" Fair
Event Date 1/6/1996
Author: maa
FM:103196
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