Aboriginal Hunting Boomerang from South Australia

Item K53    

This Item was Sold on 19 July 2016 for $146


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

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


This hunting boomerang, or throwstick was made out of Mulga, a dense desert hardwood. I acquired it from the Lord Alistair McAlpine collection sale in Perth in 1991. Instead of the white McAlpine numbering on the underside, the number was corrected by painting over with white paint and renumbering in pen as #1266. It was probably made in the late 19th century. The surfaces are smoothed over a combination of stone and metal tool marks and probably finished by scraping of the surfaces after moisture was applied to soften the surfaces. The wood is very dark and the airfoiling is excellent. The edges of the tips show the darkened blonde wood indicative of desert Mulga. This hunting boomerang is in excellent condition and without any cracks or edge damage. There is an intact knot visible on the upper surface. The knot extends to the lower surface where it is much smaller in size. No fine art on this one. It is a functional tool used by Aborigines who did not use modern weaponry.

Length = 65 cm ; Weight = 294 gm


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