EMB_VI_2499

Title: A message stick at the Ethnologisches Museum

Description: EMB description: VI 2499 Keule, Stock oder Botenstab (?) vor 1880 Eugen von Guérard, Sammler*in Australien West-Australien Holz, geschnitzt 64,5 x 3 x 3 cm 0,3 kg

Date Created: 1880

Notes on date created: before this date

Item type: message stick in a collection

Institution/Holder file: Ethnologisches Museum Berlin object identifier: VI 2499

Collector: Eugen von Guérard

Notes: 14.04.2026 PK: wrote to DD: Dear DD, I'm just reprising this dialogue from some years ago! I visited your collection as a researcher in 2018 when I was just beginning to compile the Australian Message Stick Database, here: https://amsd.clld.org/ This database is now maintained from Australia, but the servers are in Göttingen, and the software is managed from Leipzig. Thanks to your assistance in 2017-2018 I was able to add 34 message sticks from your collection to a database of now 2160 entries. I'm preparing to visit Berlin again and I have two questions for you: It's probably unlikely but are there now any more than 34 Australian message sticks currently in your collection? The technical term in German would be Botenstab, Botenstäbe, if you were to perform a search. Adolf Bastian collected a spearthrower in 1881 or prior, that was repurposed as a message stick by a headman named Kaawirn Kuunawarn, also known as King Davie, or Hissing Swan. This object might never have been in your museum, but if it is, it might have been labelled as a spearthrower (Speerwerfer?) and not a message stick. It is one of the most significant message sticks ever recorded since it is the only one with a sign on it that represents a purely linguistic element. This, in part, inspired Bastian to write his 1881 article ,,Australische Schriftsubstitute." Here it is in the Australian Message Stick Database: https://amsd.clld.org/contributions/AB1881P192#4/-38.29/142.70 To see what it looks like, scroll to the bottom of that page and look at the image in the bottom right. Could you please do a search for objects collected by Bastian from Australia? Or search Australian spearthrowers? It's possible that it never left Australia and remained in the hands of James Dawson but was then lost in a fire. In any case I would like to rule out the possibility that it is with you in Berlin. Many thanks! I can meet you in Berlin from 6-8 May or the following week, if that's more suitable. All the best, Piers P.S. The research project has expanded a great deal since we first met. Here it is: https://messagesticks.com.au/ 22.04.2026 DD: Dear Piers, Thank you very much for your email and the link to the database of message sticks. You’ve done a brilliant job. Congratulations. Please accept my apologies for not replying sooner. I’m currently comparing your entries with ours in the database and will be in contact with you next week with a few questions. I searched the database and found two sticks that were listed as “Stab” /stick in the catalogue, but as ‘Botenstab’ (?) on the index cards. I have attached a list of these two items. There is no object in the Bastian collection that corresponds to the drawing you mentioned. All the best, D 28.04.2026 PK: Thank you DD! And sorry for my own late reply. I'm in east Arnhem Land without regular access to the internet. Thank you for sending these additional objects. Some quick observations regarding their status as ,,fraglich": VI 2499 has the appearance of a message stick even though it is unusually large. I can say more if you have a higher resolution photograph. The dating of 'before 1880' is also exceptionally early but not impossible. Most settlers didn't really know about message sticks as a concept until the late 1880s. VI 8326 is more securely a message stick on the basis of the word 'Cundell'. This term is of uncertain origin but was used by Western Australian settlers for 'message stick' up until the 1920s. It's possibly from a southwest language, and would be spelled kurntal, or similar, today. I haven't yet been able to track it down but I'm working on it with linguist Troy Reynolds. Before 1887 is also quite early so this would be an important object for understanding the practice in southwest Western Australia. Let me know how you go with your comparisons. I expect to get to Berlin on Tuesday next week. If you have time for lunch or a coffee let me know. I can take a break from the conference at Petri to say hello. PK

Media Files:

Data Entry: Piers Kelly