Bull-Roarer

P1851

From: Australia | South Australia | Central Australia

Curatorial Section: Oceanian

Native Name Churinga
Object Number P1851
Current Location Collections Storage
Provenience Australia | South Australia | Central Australia
Period Late Colonial Australia Period
Date Made 1850-1900 CE
Section Oceanian
Materials Wood | Red Ochre
Description

The collector, J.T. Huston, labeled this object as coming from the Arrernte people; however, the geographical location does not align with the Arrernte territory and therefore has not been assigned a cultural group.

A wooden bull-roarer covered in red ochre with very thin fluting on both sides. There is some darker staining on both ends of the front of the stick and an etched pattern of two sets of wavy lines intersecting across the body. The back has the same pattern with some remnants of black pigment on the lefthand side.

Huston originally identified this item as a message stick; however, it is confirmed to be a bull-roarer. Huston additionally incorrectly spelled the native name of this object as peeta.

Length 20 cm
Width 3 cm
Credit Line Gift of J. T. Huston, 1907
Other Number 5 - Other Number

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