IDNO

P.85674.ACH2

Description

On Catalogue Card for duplicate print P.259.ACH1: “Natives performing the ceremony of knocking a front tooth out.”

Aboriginal ceremony of knocking a front tooth out, with a boy sitting on the shoulders of a man while three other men hold still and a fifth man uses an eight to ten inch long stick from the hard Eucalyptus resinifera to knock the front tooth of the boy out. The fifth men appear to be wearing body paint and are adorned with feathers. Six older men stand around the group watching on. [JD 23/8/2007, updated WV 6/4/2009]

Place

Oceania Australasia; Australia; Victoria; Darling River; Murray River

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

Muetzel, Gustav [Artist]

Collector / Expedition

von Blandowski, William [Blandowski Expedition to the Lower Murray River, 1857]

Date

1860; 1862

Collection Name

Haddon Collection

Source

?Haddon, Alfred Cort (Dr)

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.85635. to P.85723. were tied together in a bundle.

Bibliographical Reference: Blandowski, William von, 1862. Australien in 142 Photographischen (Unpublished), with the caption “Aborigines of Australia, Plate 151. William v. Blandowski, Australia. Natives performing the ceremony of knocking a front tooth out”. The image is signed “G.M.60”. [JD 23/8/2007]

Bibliographical Reference: For discussion of authorship see: Allen, H. 2006. Authorship and ownership in Blandowski's Australien in 142 Photographischen Abbildungen. Australasian Historical Archaeology 24:31-37. [Jane Lydon, Monash University, 8/7/2009]

CUMAA Exhibition: P.84112.ACH2 to P.85713.ACH2 were on display in the SSL as part of the Brook Andrew ‘The Island’ Exhibition, 24th June - 27th September 2008. [JD 25/6/2008]

Publication: Blandowski, W. 1862. Australien in 142 Photographischen Ahbildungen. Gustav Neumann, Gleiwicz. Edited by Harry Alien. Translated from the German by Lillian Barton. Translation Copyright: Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, 2007. with the caption:
“92. This picture shows the actual tooth operation. The boy sits on the shoulders of a warrior and with the already mentioned bone the doctor slits open the gum on the upper jaw and sharpens a 8-10 inch long stick from the hard Eucalyptus resinifera, the tool for the operation, - Now one of the leaders, grimacing hideously, grabs the boy's head. A second man grasps the boy's lower jaw and a third puts the sharpen tool on the root of the tooth. Uttering horrible "ga-ga-ga" shouts he takes a two pound stone and after two feinting movements with the stone toward the stick he hit sit with a third blow and the tooth is cleanly removed. The wound is attended to. The spectators cheer and then the boy is decorated with the already mentioned belt made out of human hair, receives the boomerang weapon and a band of feathers and leafs from the Xanthoroea is wound around his head made . The boy places his left hand over his mouth to show that he will keep silent about the tribe and their ceremonies and then he is greeted by his own people as a new warrior. The blood that flowed during the operation is not wiped away but runs down the shoulders of the man carrying the lad and he becomes a kind of god father to this new warrior. If there is a lot of blood the wound is covered with fried fish.” [WV 6/4/2009]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Jocelyne Dudding 23/8/2007]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Aboriginal Visual Histories Project, Monash University. [Wonu Veys 6/4/2009]