Item TB186
This Item was Sold on 18 June 2011
for $21
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 returning style Australian Aboriginal boomerang was probably made in the 1960s or 1970s. It was made out of plywood and decorated with Aboriginal art on the upper surface using traditional ochre colors. The airfoiling looks proper and there is beveling on the underside to make this a right handed returner. This boomerang is in very good condition with no damage. It will make an excellent display. Span = 51 cm ; Weight = 184 gm 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 somewhat 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 arms. Boomerangs that are made with the grain following the contour of the blades are much stronger and more valuable. The majority of contemporary boomerangs have poor airfoiling. 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 scratched into the surface. It is easy to tell the tourist boomerang from the valuable ethnographic artifact. However, tourist boomerangs that are made properly with the grain running along the contour and with good airfoiling and art work do have good collectable value, especially if they are made by famous Aboriginal artists like Bill Onus or Joe Timbery. |
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