20230619a_ebay

Title: A message stick listed on ebay

Description: Ebay description: "LARGE OLD ABORIGINAL PAINTED OCHRE MESSAGE STICK N. T. 50cm. Old Aboriginal Ochre Painted Message / Ceremonial Stick. Circa Early 20th Century. Originates from the Northern Territory. Measures approximately 50cm long x 5.7cm at it's widest. Registered & signed for mail."

Item type: message stick from a private sale

Notes: eBay item number:166180838520 Sold by: usarname Seller (Wayne) wrote on 25.06.23: "Most of what I have is an estate from late father in law albeit I've been collecting since I was little as my dad was an antique / art dealer. But these particular ones were separately stored and one of them has another pair which are almost indentical. They were wrapped together as a trio and handwritten T!wi Island written on the package. The other was wrapped separately with no relevant information. This collection goes back three generations as my in laws were dairy farmers from conception to completion as they were heavily involved with investing and consulting how to establish and maintain dairy farms throughout Australia, more in the late 19th century to early 20th century. It was then that two further generations picked up collecting and took it further. I have others that are quite rare from around the N.T. which aren't for sale but you're welcome to reference them. I'd have to find them but I'd let you know if it interests you." PK: From the above I conclude that this object and the other one sold by usarname circumstantially associated with the T!wi islands on the basis of a note on the packaging of visually similar objects held by a previous owner. 20.09.23: JR discussed both objects from usarname with PK in the following terms: Both objects: -It's hard not to think that they come from the same place given the similarities 20230619a_ebay: -heavy wood -if you were just looking at the crosshatching you'd think it was from Arnhem Land, but the curves/scalloping is not typical 20230619b_ebay: -the lightness of the wood is puzzling. If this was T!wi you might expect something like ironwood -the black has been painted first and there's an interestingly sharp contrast in the crosshatching, reminiscent of the bark paintings of David Malangi

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Data Entry: Piers Kelly

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