amsd_01576

Title: A message stick from Southeast Australia sold on eBay

Description: Seller description: "This excellent example of a very old Message Stick is 46 cms long and 5 cms wide, it was stone carved into the classic shape with fine cross hatched design on the front, it has seen a great amount of use over a long period. The carvings upon the wood is to remind the carrier of the verbal message he was to deliver, it also was a "passport" thru other tribes country, and was a guarantee of good faith and proof that the words spoken were true. To be respected and protected. Early collection."

Notes: eBay item number:116082299433 29.02.24 PK: Wrote to seller 13bar20: "Do you have any information linking this to 'Eastern' Australia in your description? Are you able to locate where it came from? Note that the book in the image is referring to tjurungas (churingas) and not message sticks. It's possible that the object you are selling is a message stick but if you can provide evidence that would be great." [PK: some of the pictures, not included here, showed the message stick sitting on top of Spencer & Gillen's Across Australia vol1 on pages about tjurunas] Replied on same day: "Hello perezkelly, thanks for your message, this stick is one of a great many that I will be selling as I am in my 80's I feel it is time for others to enjoy, it has been in the family for well over 100 years and was in a box mark S.E. Aust and as you would know S.E.Australia division runs across from Bundaberg to Adelaide, I am sorry I cannot tell you exactly where it came from, the ref books are just to show carved wooden sticks/boards. All the best, David."

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Data Entry: Piers Kelly