Accession No

2004.25


Description

Bullroarer with painted face. Ovoid bullroarer with one end more pointed than the other and with a small hole in each end. A long, twisted fibre string is tied through hole in wider end. The wood is stained or painted black and on one side, a face is painted on the upper half. Two small depressions filled with yellow pigment represent the nostrils and a triangular depression is painted to represent the mouth. Carved lines filled with white pigment outline the eyes, nose and mouth and the face is painted in white, red and yellow ?ochre lines. The bottom half and the back of the bullroarer are painted with stripes, spots and cross-hatching in red, white and yellow.


Place

Oceania; Australasia; Australia; Northern Australia


Period


Source

Bateman, Frederick John Afford [collector]; Bateman, Richard [donor]


Department

Anth


Reference Numbers

2004.25


Cultural Affliation


Material

Wood; Pigment; Fibre; ?Plant Fibre


Local Term


Measurements


Events

Description (CMS Description)
Bullroarer with painted face. Ovoid bullroarer with one end more pointed than the other and with a small hole in each end. A long, twisted fibre string is tied through hole in wider end. The wood is stained or painted black and on one side, a face is painted on the upper half. Two small depressions filled with yellow pigment represent the nostrils and a triangular depression is painted to represent the mouth. Carved lines filled with white pigment outline the eyes, nose and mouth and the face is painted in white, red and yellow ?ochre lines. The bottom half and the back of the bullroarer are painted with stripes, spots and cross-hatching in red, white and yellow.
Event Date
Author: maa


Context (CMS Context)
(Bio) (Collector) Fredrick John Afford Bateman was a doctor in Alice Springs periodically between 1955 -1959, where he worked both in the hospital there and as a flying medic. Richard Bateman, the collector’s son, in correspondence with CUMAA adds: ‘It was a practice that all weapons, shields, knives were left outside the ward [at the Alice Spring Hospital] and were often unclaimed after the patients left the hospital.’
Event Date
Author: maa


FM:265253

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