작품 상세

An Obsidian Tip Spear, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea Late 19th Century This exceptionally fine weapon or ceremonial implement from Manus Island, part of the Admiralty Islands group in northern Papua New Guinea, features a large flaked stone point securely mounted into a gum paste setting, attached to a long, slender, tapering hardwood shaft. The shaft is decorated with incised linear motifs, characteristic of the regional aesthetic associated with both utilitarian and ritual objects. The Admiralty Islands were renowned for their stone-working traditions, especially the flaking of large blades and points from obsidian or chert using percussive and pressure techniques. The use of gum paste to fix blades into wooden mounts is a distinctive local method, and reflects broader Melanesian practices of binding and hafting ritual tools with organic adhesives. Weapons like this were often invested with social and symbolic value, exchanged between clans, or used in initiatory rites, warfare displays, or status affirmation ceremonies. L1610 W48 D32mm   Provenance and Exhibition History Edward Pierson Ramsay, a pioneering zoologist and ethnographer, served as Curator of the Australian Museum, Sydney (1874–1895) and was instrumental in the early collection of Oceanic artefacts. Objects from his personal acquisitions are rare and often tied to early colonial expeditions or inter-island trade networks. Passed by descent to Bill Evans and acquired in 2005 Subsequently held in the Chris Boylan Oceanic Art Collection, a leading dealer and authority on Pacific material culture. The piece was listed in the 2023 "Parcours des Mondes" exhibition in Paris, one of the most prestigious global fairs for tribal art. Most recently, it formed part of the Jorgen Lotz Collection, noted for early and high-quality Oceanic works.