Description:

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, possibly Maprik / Wosera area, Abelam and Arapesh peoples, ca. 20th century CE. A magnificent dagger, finely carved from the thigh bone of a huge cassowary bird (moruk in the Tok Pisin language). Atop is an integral perched bird finial, and below this, the dagger is incised with an abstract horned ancestral or clan figure. Examples like this were traditionally worn on the upper arm, secured via a woven band, and occasionally around the neck. As a tool, bone daggers would have been used for hunting, combat, ceremonial sacrifices, digging, and/or as dance decorations. Size: 2.25" W x 15.75" H (5.7 cm x 40 cm); 17.25" H (43.8 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

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#141724

  • Condition: Slight nicks to peripheries of blade and bird, with expected ossification, minor softening to some incised details, and light encrustations, otherwise intact and very good. Nice smooth surfaces and light earthen deposits.

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January 14, 2021 10:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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