Wood, resin, sinew, string
Boomerang: 10 x 1.75 in. / 25.5 x 4.25 cm
Height on custom display stand: 12.5 in. / 32 cm
Woomera: 9.75 x 2.5 in. / 25 x 6.25 cm
Height on custom display stand: 12 in. / 30.5 cm
First half, 20th century
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Highlands, Central East West Range
Field collected between 1941 and 1955
Bamboo, black palm wood and natural fibers
60 x 19.25 x 1 in. / 152 x 49 x 2.5 cm
Arrows were made by individual men and by specialist clan arrow-makers alike, and were carried whenever a man ventured beyond the village. The type of arrow a man carried was rarely incidental — it could signal the purpose of his journey, whether hunting fish, birds, or pigs, engaging in combat, or attending a ceremonial occasion.
At gatherings such as marriages and pig feasts, men displayed their most elaborate arrows to gain prestige. These ornately carved pieces were also given as gifts between clans, serving as tokens of diplomacy and alliance.
Shipping quoted separately.
Massim Culture, Milne Bay Region
Wood
Mid 20th Century
30 x 3 in. / 76 x 7.5 cm
Height on custom display stand 31.5 in. / 80 cm
Provenance: Leo and Lillian Fortess Collection
A seemingly simple, elegant composition with a rich dark patina and a smooth, glossy blade. The blade draws the eye up to the handle created in the form of a stylized hornbill. Hornbills are predators of small animals, an appropriate symbol for a club.
Shipping quoted separately.
Western Highlands
Mid 20th C.
Bamboo, black palm, wood, insect wax and charcoal, cassowary claw
40.5 to 44 in. / 103 to 112 cm
Weight including stands: 2.6 lbs. / 1.2 kg
Four of these arrows, with their pointed heads and intricate carved designs, were crafted for display at weddings, pig feasts, and other ceremonies. The specimen fitted with a cassowary toenail served as a fighting arrow.
Arrows were made by individual men and by specialist clan arrow-makers alike, and were carried whenever a man ventured beyond the village. The type of arrow a man carried was rarely incidental — it could signal the purpose of his journey, whether hunting fish, birds, or pigs, engaging in combat, or attending a ceremonial occasion.
At gatherings such as marriages and pig feasts, men displayed their most elaborate arrows to gain prestige. These ornately carved pieces were also given as gifts between clans, serving as tokens of diplomacy and alliance.
Shipping quoted separately.
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