HOOKED BOOMERANG
LIKELY WARLPIRI PEOPLES, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA, LATE 19TH - EARLY 20TH CENTURY
Estimate: £250 - £350
Auction: 13 March 2025 from 13:00 GMT
Description
carved wood and ochre, adorned with incised grooving, raised on a bespoke mount
Dimensions
78cm tall
Provenance
Clive Loveless, London
Private collection, United Kingdom, acquired from the above
Footnote
Boomerangs such as the present example (known as a “number seven” on account of the shape), were primarily crafted by the Tanami desert peoples but circulated widely across central and northern Australia through extensive inland trade networks. While mainly used in combat, they were also effective for bird hunting, as they could knock birds from flocks in flight, making them easier to catch. Like most Aboriginal boomerangs, they did not return when thrown.
For similar please see: The Metropolitan Museum, New York, accession number 1979.206.1667.