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Tiwi Islands Bathurst & Melville Islands NT.

Very early, fine beautiful old exceedingly rare type of TIWI crossed boomerang star club or dance wand. May be a derivative of the forked ceremonial club of the Tjapara Timirrikamara type from the Tiwi Islands Bathurst & Melville Islands NT. These were used in Pukamani ceremony and in Ritual battle.

This type of club is patterned after a weapon in Tiwi mythology. Purukapali & Tjapara fought over the body of Purukapali’s son Djinini. Tjapara threw his forked fighting club which severely wounded his opponent who only had a bulbed kutunga fighting club. Tjapara became the moon and the facial injuries he suffered  may still be seen on a clear night. The forked club remains known as Tjapara’s fighting club.

These clubs display banded natural pigment decoration extending to the forked tips. The handles show longitudinal fluting and shell adze marks from manufacture.

Condition: Bear great patina from age and usage. Tips intact. Decorated in traditional designs with red, yellow, white and black natural earth ochre pigments.

Star Clubs shows age & some cracks. Feels & looks worn and used.   Original old Tiwi artefacts in fine condition are very rare and beautiful examples highly sought after.

Provenance: Pre WW11 field collection. Palmer Family Collection Queensland.

Length: 59cm (23 inches)
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