Australia
19th century
Hardwood
Length: 22¼ inches (56.5 cm)
Provenance: English trade
Spear throwers, known across Australia by regional names including woomera and miru, functioned as mechanical extensions of the arm, allowing a spear to be launched with greater force and accuracy than an unaided throw. This example takes a distinctive elongated lozenge form terminating in a small knob at the upper end and a pointed tip at the lower, differing from the broader paddle-like profiles associated with some other regional traditions. The surface is engraved with track motifs, a visual convention in Aboriginal art used to represent the movement of animals, people, or ancestral beings across country.
The engraving covers significant areas of the surface and is executed with consistent depth and spacing, indicating familiarity with the design convention rather than incidental decoration. Spear throwers of this form were practical tools in daily use as well as objects that could carry ceremonial or narrative meaning through their surface treatment, and this example shows wear consistent with use prior to collection.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Australia
19th century
Hardwood
Length: 22¼ inches (56.5 cm)
Provenance: English trade
Spear throwers, known across Australia by regional names including woomera and miru, functioned as mechanical extensions of the arm, allowing a spear to be launched with greater force and accuracy than an unaided throw. This example takes a distinctive elongated lozenge form terminating in a small knob at the upper end and a pointed tip at the lower, differing from the broader paddle-like profiles associated with some other regional traditions. The surface is engraved with track motifs, a visual convention in Aboriginal art used to represent the movement of animals, people, or ancestral beings across country.
The engraving covers significant areas of the surface and is executed with consistent depth and spacing, indicating familiarity with the design convention rather than incidental decoration. Spear throwers of this form were practical tools in daily use as well as objects that could carry ceremonial or narrative meaning through their surface treatment, and this example shows wear consistent with use prior to collection.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
