boomerang
- Museum number
- Oc.979
- Description
-
Boomerang of wood with gentle curve and bands of black pigment. Black colouring has a slightly shiny finish, so does not appear to be black ochre.
- Production date
- 19thC (before 1844)
- Dimensions
-
Length: 75 centimetres
-
Width: 7 centimetres
-
Depth: 0.60 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
-
Inscription on boomerang 'Bumerang Port Jackson NSW' in handwriting in black ink bears some similarity to the writing of John Septimus Roe.
-
Christy collection registration slip description, probably written in the 1860s:
'Port Jackson. N.S. Wales, Australia
Boomerang, wood, length 2 ft 8 in, it is semicircular, the horns of about equal length. One end is slightly convex on both sides, the other convex on one & flat on the other side. It is ornamented on both sides with black transverse bars and also has a few holes pricked on it. Length on the cord of the arc 2' 5 1/4"
Arley Castle'.
The Arley Castle reference indicates that this object was acquired from the sale of the contents of Arley Castle, Staffordshire, the property of Earl of Mountnorris, Viscount Valentia, which was held by Messrs Farebrother, Clark and Lye, 6th-21st December, 1852.
The descriptions in the catalogue for the sale suggest that this object was part of Lot 271 described as 'A Lance Stick, Club, and a beautifully carved South Sea Club'.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1972-1982 23 Jun-28 Feb, London, BM, Museum of Mankind, The Aborigines of Australia
- Acquisition date
- 1860s
- Acquisition notes
- It appears this object was acquired by Henry Christy from the Arley Castle collection sale in December 1852. After Christy's death in 1865 it came into the British Museum's collections as part of the Christy Collection bequest.
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Oc.979
- Additional IDs
-
CDMS number: Oc186?C1.979 (old CDMS no.)
