Spear thrower "wawi a kaino" · Papua New Guinea - Sepik · ID: 3036750
not available anymore
Provenance
Old German Colonial CollectionPaul Heinz Oidtmann, Dortmund, Germany
Size
L: 89 cm
L: 35.0 inch
Description
wood, bamboo, rattan, dark brown patina, split bamboo cane, the guide is carved in shape of a stylized hornbill, plaited rattan cuffs, slightly dam., abrasion of paint;
together with the adze, the spear-thrower is one of mankind’s first technically sophisticated tools, and uses the principles of the lever to enhance the force and accuracy of the thrown spear.
Comparing literature
Meyer, Anthony J.P., Ozeanische Kunst, Vol. I, Köln 1995, ill. 244