A Superb Old New Guinea War Club from Orokolo Bay Papuan Gulf South Coast Papua New Guinea 19th Century

A Superb Old New Guinea War Club from Orokolo Bay Papuan Gulf South Coast Papua New Guinea 19th Century

This superb old War Club called Boti in the Elema Language was used in warfare fighting with traditional enemies, the front is finely carved with two expressive Imunu Spirit Faces, a star shape, and other designs. The designs have magical properties that make the club more effective against enemies.

The Elema people live on the long coast of Orokolo Bay in southern Papua New Guinea.  In the past, the primary focus of religious and artistic life was on powerful spirits (imunu). Each imunu typically was associated with a specific location in the landscape, rivers, or sea, and was linked to the specific clan within whose territory it dwelt.

In pre-European contact times, the Papuan Gulf people made huge Ceremonial Houses with peaked roofs called Ravi, this is where the Gope Spirit Boards and other types of ceremonial objects like Clubs and Bullroarers were kept safe.

Ceremonial Artworks & artifacts were kept on shrines that had boars’ skulls and human skulls from headhunting placed around them on racks, oral traditions were attached to all of the Ceremonial Artworks like this club would have had a significant oral history about the original owner & how it was used in fighting.

I love Papuan Gulf Art, I think it is one of the most beautiful art styles in the whole Island of New Guinea, please look at my other Papuan Gulf Artworks on my website, there are fine old Gope Spirit Boards, Ancestor Figures, Old Papuan Gulf Drums, incised Bark Belts, Shell Ornaments. Look at this superb old Elema Bullroarer  from the same early collection :   https://www.oceanicartsaustralia.com/art-for-sale/a-superb-old-bullroarer-orokolo-bay-papuan-gulf-area-papua-new-guinea/

The Papuan Gulf people had complex Hevehe Ceremonial cycles that took a decade to complete.  There are many distinct art styles in the Papuan Gulf stretching from the Elema area in the east to the Bamu area in the west and they are also neighbors of the Gogodala & Marind Anim people who live on both sides of the border that splits the island between Papua New Guinea and West Papua Indonesia.

The Elema People or Orokolo Bay produced some of the strongest artworks in the whole Papuan Gulf Area & are the rarest as they were the first converted to Christianity.

Provenance: This Bullroarer was collected by the Australian Colonial Patrol Officer in 1948 when he was charged with visiting remote villages & keeping order.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art 

Provenance: Old Collection Australia and The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art

See my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY  showing the Museums and Art Galleries Exhibitions that I provided artworks for over the past 40 years. There is the link to the article about my artworks published in the prestigious Louvre Magazine in 1996

I have artwork for Museums and art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery. I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specializes in New Guinea and Oceanic Art.  Sydney is very close to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbors.

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