Bull-Roarer

P1853

From: Australia | Northern Territory | Central Australia

Curatorial Section: Oceanian

Native Name Churinga irula
Object Number P1853
Current Location Collections Storage
Culture Arrernte
Provenience Australia | Northern Territory | Central Australia
Locus South Australia [Historic Attribute]
Period Late Colonial Australia Period
Date Made 1850-1900 CE
Section Oceanian
Materials Wood | Hair | Red Ochre
Description

A wooden bullroarer covered in red ochre. A cord of black hair is attached on the left side. On the other end, the tip of the bullroarer is chipped with a crack running about 4 cm down the length of the body. Five spirals are etched across the front of the body and connected along the top by “^” shaped lines with three horizontal lines connecting them in the middle and “v” shaped lines connecting the bottom of the spirals. The back has the same design etched on it, but the wood is much darker.

“Used in men's initiation ceremony.” (Catalog Card)

The collector, J.T. Huston incorrectly spelled the native name of this object as peeta.

Length 30 cm
Width 4 cm
Credit Line Gift of J. T. Huston, 1907
Other Number 7 - Other Number

Report problems and issues to digitalmedia@pennmuseum.org.