AMSD - Message Stick RMV1321

Coordinates WGS84

21°18'S, 119°43'E
-21.30, 119.71

RMV1321_14

Title: A message stick held in the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde

Description: paspoort, "marben" (native name) RMV Catalogue: "Message stick from northwestern Australia, Gnamo people. Nullagine and Oakover. The bearer of this "passport" can thus travel through the territory of another nation; The "passport" says who he is and where he comes from." Original Dutch catalogue card from RMV (y-RMV-IK_1321-14.JPG) says: "Korete aanduiding paspoort (Marben) Beschrijving: als No. 13, doch aan de ene zijde met een ingegrifte zigzaglijn en aan de andere met een over het grootste gedeelte zich uitstrekkende schuin-se reuggetjes in een onregelmatig vlak. Afmetingen: L.16,2cm br. 2,5cm. Literatuur: zie No. 13 en dan fig 6 en 6a [PK:= Clement, Emile. 1904. "Ethnographical notes on the Western-Australian Aborigines: With a descriptive catalogue of a collection of ethnographical objects from Western Australia by J.D.E Schmeltz." Internationales Archiv für Ethnographie 16 (1/2):1-29.] Clement (1904): "142. Marben, passport, like 141; one side with a fish-like figure, consisting of grooves; the other with a zigzaggroove. Lg. 16,2, br. 2,5 cm. [Inv. No. 1321/14]. Gnamo-tribe, Oakover & Nullagine. Pl. V. fig. 6 & 6a."

Item type: message stick in a collection

Subtype: traditional_context

Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Nyamal Austlang: A58 - Nyamal Glottolog: nyam1271

Notes on linguistic areas: The origin of the message stick is Western Australia "Gnamo people"

Cultural region: Pilbara

Term for 'message stick' (or related) in language: marpan ('marben') = passport

Dimension 1: 162mm Dimension 2: 25mm

Materials: wood

Sources:

Clement, Emile. 1904. "Ethnographical notes on the Western-Australian Aborigines: With a descriptive catalogue of a collection of ethnographical objects from Western Australia by J.D.E Schmeltz."

Internationales Archiv für Ethnographie 16 (1/2):1-29.

Source types: museum collection