|
Artist:
|
Aborigine
|
|
Title:
|
Ceremonial Bull Roarer
|
|
Date:
|
c. 1900
|
|
Medium:
|
Wood
|
|
Dimensions:
|
29 15/16 x 3 7/16 x 7/16 in. (76.04 x 8.73 x 1.11 cm)
|
|
Credit Line:
|
The Africa, Oceania and the Americas Miscellaneous Purchase Fund and gift of funds from the Surdna Foundation
|
|
Location:
|
Gallery 256
|
Bull roarers were used in Aboriginal ceremonies to represent the voices of the spirits. They were swung rapidly around the head on a string, creating a loud humming sound. The incised designs on the surface are a classic form in Aboriginal art, but their specific interpretation is known only to the object's creator and those associated with its ceremonial use. Specific clans and individuals own and control particular patterns, and rarely share the meaning of these designs with outsiders.
Object Description
|
|
|
Classification:
|
Woodwork
|
|
Physical Description:
|
paddle-shaped with small hole in one end; back side smooth and curved; front side flat and carved with incised decoration of hatched lines forming irregular rows of diamonds; reddish brown
|
|
Creation Place:
|
Oceania, Australia
|
|
Accession #:
|
99.163.2
|
|
Owner:
|
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
|
|
