PRM1884_98_44

Title: A message stick held in the Pitt Rivers Museum and reproduced by M. Frank (1940, p.345, Fig.11)

Description: Incised wood message stick. Sketch of message stick (fig. 11) wrapped in rind on p. 345 in Maria Frank's "Botenstäbe in Australien"

Message: Black fellow's [sic] letter (cylinder with pointed cords, cross hatched surface), sent by King or headman as a summons to strip bark Renello Warrego River S Queensland [Drawing] (Accession Book V entry - 1884.98.1 - 66 Writing ,PRM Catalogue) Frank, 1940, p. 335: Message stick - invitation to an initiation ceremony. The stick was folded/wrapped in a bark ("Botenstab wird [...] [in ein Stück] Rinde eingeschlagen")

Date Created: 1881

Notes on date created: terminus ante quem

Item type: message stick in a collection

Subtype: traditional

State/Territory: QLD

Notes on linguistic areas: The origin of the message stick is given simply as “Queensland Warrego River”. It therefore cannot be associated with a linguistic area. Probably in the vicinity of Gunya but not enough data. Coordinates are given for the approximate location of Warrego River in southern Queensland

Dimension 1: 125mm

Materials: wood plant

Techniques: incised, notched

Sources:

Frank, Maria. 1940. "Botenstäbe in Australien."

Zeitschrift für Ethnologie 72 (4/6): 328-352.

Source types: museum collection

Date collected: Prior to 1881

Institution/Holder file: Pitt Rivers Museum object identifier: 1884.98.44

Collector: Field Collector: Unknown Other Owners: Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers. PRM Source: Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection Acquired: Donated 1884

Coordinates: 26°35'23.899200"S,146°07'25.399200"E  (-26.589972, 146.123722)

Media copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum

Notes on coordinates: Approximate coordinates for Warrego River, southern Queensland

URL institution: http://objects.prm.ox.ac.uk/pages/PRMUID130624.html

Notes: This object was listed in the Delivery Catalogue as having been transferred from South Kensington Museum in 1884. It was delivered to South Kensington Museum in April 1881. It was probably displayed at South Kensington Museum between 1881 - 1884. Display history: Displayed in South Kensington Museum (V&A). [AP Leverhulme project on founding collection 1995-1998]

Media Files:

Data Entry: Julia Bespamyatnykh, Piers Kelly