Description:

Oceania, Australia, Aboriginal peoples, ca. early 20th century CE. A lengthy boomerang intended for hunting, hand-carved from gorgeous mulga wood and incised with various geometric forms. The gentle curve of this iconic airfoil weapon allows it to be aimed and thrown with ease, and its stone-smoothed surface facilitates a smooth flight. Incised linear, ovoid, and helix-form motifs decorate the obverse face, perhaps reflecting the hunter's personal taste. The use of hunting boomerangs was described by the explorer Francis Barrallier in 1802, when he wrote that indigenous people throw it, "making it revolve on itself, and with such a velocity that one cannot see it … only the whizzing of it is heard." Colored with a natural red ochre pigment, this is a beautiful example replete with fine craftsmanship. Size: 2.375" W x 27" H (6 cm x 68.6 cm).

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

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#133592

  • Condition: Age-commensurate surface wear and abrasions, small nicks to both curved ends and both faces, with fading to incised details, and a couple of stable hairline fissures. Light earthen deposits and nice red ochre remains throughout.

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May 24, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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