Item N87
This Item was Sold on 28 January
2014 for $125
Similar artifacts for sale are often found on the Aboriginal
Boomerangs web page.
Historical Pricing information for this item and similar artifacts can be found at: Historical Artifact Prices.
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This Australian Aboriginal traditional boomerang was made by Laddie Timbery out of a natural elbow with a beautiful contrasting grain. The grain runs along the curvature of the boomerang and the airfoiling is excellent. The surface is smooth and polished. The reverse side has a Laddie Timbery signature with " Huskisson N.S.W. " etched into the surface. Laddie Timbery is one of the members of the famous Timbery family from La Perouse, near Sydney. A fine collectible in excellent condition. The only flaw is a tiny chip on the inside edge of the elbow.
Australian Aborigines are well known for making boomerangs. The majority of the Aborigines had the technology to make throwsticks, or non-returning boomerangs. Only a small percentage of the tribal groups knew how to make true returners and most of these came from the eastern coastal regions of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. During the past century, the majority of the Aborigines came out of the bush and were assimilated into the European culture. Many Aborigines began making returning style boomerangs to sell to tourists. The earliest ones were well made out of natural timber and with the grain following the curvature of the boomerang. Today, most hardwood boomerang are cut out of a large board and the grain is usually straight and running parallel to a line spanning the tips of the blades. Boomerangs that are made with the grain following the contour of the blades are much stronger and more valuable. In addition, only a small percentage of the boomerangs have good airfoiling. The majority do not. Most "tourist boomerangs" have painted upper surfaces that display Australian animals and decorative lines and/or geometric patterns. Most pre-contact returners have no artwork or the artwork is simple and etched into the surface. It is easy to tell the tourist boomerangs from the valuable ethnographic artifacts. However, tourist boomerangs that are made properly with the grain running along the contour and with good airfoiling and art fly well and they do have good collectable value, especially if they are made by famous Aboriginal artists with last names like Onus , Timbery or Roberts |
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