This hunting boomerang, or throwstick, was made out of a dense hardwood. I acquired this boomerang in 1991 from an artifact vendor in Perth, Western Australia. This vendor was liquidating the famous W. H. Holt/Lord Alastair McAlpine collection. The collection tag said it was made in Arnhem Land. The McAlpine number 430 is neatly printed in black paint on the end opposite the art. The surfaces are smooth and covered with dark Ochre brown paint. Both sides of one end is painted with yellow, white and black lines similar to what you would find on bark paintings from the Northern Territories. There is also a small band painted near the narrow end. There is a significant twist to the airfoil and this was often done to tune the flight, but I expect this one to be ceremonial with the paint. A very nice artifact with excellent provenance.