Group of four spears, before 1914 ·  Solomon Islands - Buka Island · ID: 3043093

Description

three of the spears as follows: shaft from nippa palmwood, knob of leaf fibres pressed closely together (called “uiru”), carved with a face symbolizing “kägoi” above, extremely fine plaited cuffs of orchid bast dyed in red and yellow, tip with barbs made from the wing-bones of the flying fox, the latter partly missing, the upper tips dam.; the fourth spear: Salomonen/ Bougainville Island, carved with a face, the long tip wrapped with strips of orchid bast, just one barb (bone?) preserved, dam.
“Kägoi” is a spirit, and the carving certainly symbolises the spirit that gives the spear its deadly power. The knob called “uiru” represents the spirits dwelling.

The object Group of four spears, before 1914 with the object ID 3043093 was last part of the auction 87th Tribal Art Auction at November 11, 2017 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 36 achieved a sales price of EUR 200.

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Comparing literature

Conru, Kevin, Solomon Islands Art, Milan 2008, p. 130, ill. 77