Old Pitjantjatjara Coolamon Bowl from South Australia

Item A88 

This Item was Sold on 25 August 2015 for $87


Similar artifacts for sale are often found on the Aboriginal Artifacts web page.

Historical Pricing information for this item and similar artifacts can be found at: Historical Artifact Prices.


This old Aboriginal Coolamon Container was made by the Pitjantjatjara Aborigines in South Australia. I have owned this bowl for more than 25 years and it was old when I acquired it from William Fagan and Company. Coolamons are multipurpose containers that are used for food preparation, grinding ochre minerals and for the preparation of vegetables and herbs. The bowl is made out of a hardwood with a smooth grain structure. It has a deep concave shape. The outer surface is decorated with pyrographic art and the inner surface is scraped smooth. Overall, it resembles a tortoise shell. This style of Coolamon container was made between the 1930s and 1960s. This is one of the older ones. It is also larger than most. This coolamon is in excellent condition. Please view the photos below. There is one small pit in the outer surface that disrupts the pattern, but it is difficult to see. The small white dot on the inside of the bowl is a small paper tag with a catalog ID. View a similar coolamon that recently sold on eBay for $108. This coolamon is older and of better quality and the artwork on this one is more traditional.

Length = 35 cm ; Width = 13 cm ; Height = 7 cm Weight = 294 gm


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