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Javelin

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Spear missing its obsidian shaft. The ornate spears of the Admiralty Islands were a coveted commodity for European collectors and were made in part especially for this purpose. This particular specimen, however, has been so meticulously crafted with its double face and decorative string configuration, suggesting that it was actually used for its intended purpose. The meaning of faces in the decoration remains obscure. Spears were used both in combat and as ceremonial weapons.

Data Provider
Museen Freiburg Show original at data provider

Cataloguing data

Object type
Speer
Dimensions
Length: 2300.0 mm
Material/Technique
Wood, Palm fibre, Resins, Bamboo
Current location
Museum Natur und Mensch
Inventory number
II/2017 a

Provenance and sources

  • Change of legal title:
    Unknown
    when
    March 1935
  • Change of physical control or legal title
    where
    Admiralty Islands (location/origin)
    Oceania (location/origin)
    Melanesia (location/origin)
    Papua New Guinea (location/origin)
    Bismarck Archipelago (location/origin)
    Manus (location/origin)
    who
    Provenienzlücke - Collectors
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    Oceania

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC0 1.0 DEED

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