IDNO

P.85769.ACH2

Description

On catalogue card: “Wrestling for emu feathers.”

Two small groups each with two or three Aboriginal women holding a man down on his back to the ground while one woman from each group is holding a bowl and either blowing or sucking air? from the chest of the men. The women are trying to revive men who have collapsed during athletic games. A third man is being carried towards a third group of women. In the mid distance is a man sitting on the ground shaking a bunch of emu feathers as a challenge towards a group in the distance. Two men are walking forward from the group in reply to the challenge. In the foreground is an Aboriginal man wearing European-style clothing and holding a rifle. [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

1861; 1862

Collection Name

Haddon Collection

Source

?Haddon, Alfred Cort (Dr)

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.85724. to P.85811. were tied together in a bundle.

Bibliographical Reference: Blandowski, William von, 1862. Australien in 142 Photographischen (Unpublished), with the caption “Aborigines of Australia, Plate 186. William v. Blandowski, Australia. Wrestling for emu feathers”. The image is signed “G.M.61”. [JD 23/8/2007]

Context: ‘Wrestling for emu feathers’ was a game often between visiting tribes. Geoffrey H. Manning describes the sport in A Colonial Experience 1838 - 1910 as follows:
“I once witnessed a native game that only the men took part in. It was on the occasion of a friendly tribe's visit to Adelaide. The sport took place on the Park Lands between the river and Montefiore Hill where about 30 to 40 men on each side sat in a cluster about 30 yards apart. A great deal of parley went on between them for some time and at length one of them advanced into the middle space, shaking in his hand a bunch of emu feather feathers firmly tied around the stems. This appeared to be a challenge.
Then one from the other side came out and tried to take the feathers from him. A melee ensued and at length others came out in twos and threes to help their respective sides until the whole company got in a heap where a lively struggle took place. It was like the old game of 'more stacks on the mill' very much extended. All the men were quite naked and climbed over each other, yelling and jabbering, for fully ten minutes, until all were too hot and tired to continue.
There was much noise and commotion when the side returned with the feathers to their starting point. The exercise was a real trial of strength and a thorough scramble. They also had wrestling bouts in which there were no tripping or footwork. It was simply hugging and attempting to force the opponent down on his back to the ground.” [Source: The Manning Index, State Library, South Australia, www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/sa/aborigines/1858.htm#1858, JD 28/8/2007]

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]

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:
“97. and 98. When the Aborigines hold big meetings they often pass the time with athletic games. The catching of the Emu feather is a popular game. One team gets a bundle of these feathers and one of two men from the other team try to take them off them. In the end both teams get help from the other young people and the game develops into a big scuffle. Every young man tries to display his prowess in the game sometimes to the degree that participants faint from their exertions. The women pour water on these player's chests and resort to other reviving techniques. The aim of the game is to find the strongest and most skilled man. Drawn byG. Mützel” [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]