Middle Sepik dagger.
 

I have endulged myself with a "buy it now" a fool and thier money are soon parted.

These are ofcorse common, and one should not pay a lot for them. I fell for this example because it shows the Abelem peoples art so well. Also it is a good 15 inches long. Looking closely at the carved figure, it apears to be female. Compare the genitalia to the pictures of spirt house panels I include from "Anthony JP Meyer - Oceanic Art" representing the primordial couple. Clearly the image carved on the dagger is female. I think the form of the dagger itself is male and with the carving a represntation of the couple. This dagger was not cheap but as it carries so much art and culture I felt it was worth the extra cost. :shrug: It is rather pretty.

Tim

Nice carving. How old do you think it is?

I hope it is at least around 100 years old. It could even be earlier? It is comming from the Netherlands. western New Guinea was added to the Dutch Eastindies in th late 1880s. The strength and confidence of the work makes me feel that it is as I hope early 20th cent. It might even be made from a human femur often taken from the father of the owner which adds a little frisson. :cool:

Hello Tim,

normally are the Abelam daggers made from the thighbone of the cassowary (Casuarius Casuarius, see also here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassowary).
I don't think that your dagger is old like this but I may be wrong by this.
Here for comparison my example.

Regards,

Detlef

That is very nice Detlef. Here are two more views, all there is un till I have it. Apparently the carved female is not unusual. Looks like it couls well be as old as the one you show.

I don't think that my one is older, maybe a little bit, but I know that patination in such regions coming very soon. I think a coarse guess let them be from the first half until middle last century. Your dagger shows a nice patina as well.

Regards,

Detlef

This was what I really would have liked, from the same seller. I could see the way it was going £346 so I opted for the by it now on the dagger. Very similar to an example on display at the Berlin ethnographic museum but not quite as fine. One day I will get one.

Very nice Papua axe! :) Do you know from which region?

It would be nice to know exactly where it is from. I do nt know. Here is the one in the Berlin museum.

This has turned out to be a very lovely thing. 15.5 inches and delightful work on carving and creating a jewel like feel colour and patina. I would say more jewel like than Fijian smoked whale ivory. I have been so taken by melanesian art that I craved my own ancestor spirit out of limestone.

VERY NICE ITEMS GUYS AND QUITE A LOVELY STONE CARVING WOO WOO!! :D

NOT MUCH TO ADD BUT WILL ATTEMPT TO THROW A FEW PICTURES OF NEW GUINEA BONE DAGGERS INTO THE MIX FOR REFRENCE.
THESE REPRESENT ABELEM , SEPIK AND AZMAT TRIBES. THERE ARE TWO CROCODILE JAW DAGGERS AS WELL. BEEN MEANING TO DO THIS FOR A WHILE THIS LOOKS LIKE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY. :)
THE DOUBLE PRONGED VARIETY ARE SAID TO BE ABELEM
PIC 5 WITH NUMBER ON IT IS SAID TO BE SEPIK
PIC. #6 BELOW IT WITH TASSELS SAID TO BE AZMAT
MOST OF REST ARE ABELEM BUT THERE ARE FEW UNKNOWNS. AND SOME MAY NOT BE CASSOWARY BONE.

I RAN ACROSS THIS UNUSUAL VARIATION OF BONE DAGGER SAID TO BE FROM PAPUA NEW GUINEA SO INCLUDE IT HERE FOR REFRENCE. ITS HARD TO JUDGE ITS SIZE SO IT MAY POSSIBLY SEE USE AS A HAIR PIN OR PICK. EITHER WAY I WOULD NOT WANT TO GET POKED WITH IT. :)

Here a picture from my small bone dagger collection. The two with cassowary feathers are Asmat, the dark one is Abelam and the plain white one is from one sub tribe of Asmat, I think Kamoro but not really sure.

INTERESTING EXAMPLES, DOES THE ONE HAVE A CASSOWARY CLAW AFIXED TO THE TIP.? THE RED BEADS/ OR SEEDS ARE INTERESTING , IS THE RESIN JUST A DESIGN OR DOES IT FORM A FACE. THIS POST IS TURNING INTO A GOOD REFERENCE FOR THESE.

Hello Barry,

yes it is a cassowary claw fixed with resin to the bone "blade" and the red seeds are adornment, there is no face to seen. Here some close ups.
The red seeds are Abrus precatorius used by many things from the Asmat as adornment. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrus_precatorius
The white bone dagger is either from pig bone or human bone, both bones have this white "colour".

Regards,

Detlef

HERE ARE A COUPLE OF MORE VARIATIONS OF NEW GUINEA BONE DAGGER.
THE ONE WITH THE BIRD HEAD IS ABELAM TRIBE (WOSERSA) NOT SURE IF THAT IS A AREA OR TRIBE :confused: ) IT IS 33CM. LONG
THE OTHER ONE WITH THE HUMAN FIGURE AND FEATHERS IS AZMAT AND 40CM. LONG. I KEEP BRINGING THIS POST UP TO UPDATE AND MAKE IT A DEFINITIVE REFRENCE FOR THESE. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD ANY INFORMATION, OBSERVATIONS OR PICTURES. :D

Some more New Guinea bone daggers.

Pic. 1: Asmat
Pic. 2: Maprik, either Abelam or Wosera
Pic. 3: Sepik
Pic. 4: Sepik
Pic. 5: Kombai
Pic. 6: Sepik
Pic. 7: Asmat

Sorry! :o

ANOTHER VARIATION OF SEPIK RIVER ,NEW GUINEA BONE DAGGER WITH FACE. I PREFER THE DAGGERS MADE ENTIRELY FROM BONE BUT THESE COMPOSITE DAGGERS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR SOME TIME AS WELL PERHAPS FOR CEREMONIAL USE??

THREE MORE EXAMPLES FOR REFRENCE.
TWO PICTURES OF A IATMUL, SEPIK BONE DAGGER WITH SCABBARD, 37CM LONG.
ONE MIDDLE SEPIK, IATMUL BONE DAGGER WITH ANCESTOR HEAD, 46CM.LONG
ONE MASSIM LIME STICK, 27CM LONG BONE. FOR COMPARISON, NOT A BONE DAGGER.

Another interesting example just ended on ebay. Described as Southern highland bone dagger.

The only one I have in my collection. Sorry about the poor picture quality.

Robert

Hi Robert,

nice one! :) Do you know from where it coming? IMHO Dani tribe, western New Guinea.

Regards,

Detlef

Hello Detlef,
I actually have no idea at all as to which tribe made this dagger. The person that I acquired this from found it in a box lot at an estate auction. I was hoping that by posting it here to find out more about it and I thank you for your help in identifying where it is from and who made it. Any other information on this item would be greatly appreciated.

Robert

3 PICTURES OF A ABELAM BONE DAGGER, 24 CM. LONG, POSSIBLY WITH A RESHAPED TIP.
3 PICTURES OF A LARGE ASMAT ANCESTOR FIGURE WITH CLUB, AX AND BONE DAGGER.

A FEW MORE TWO PICTURES OF A WESTERN DANI BONE KNIFE 22CM. LONG
ONE PICTURE OF A AZMAT BONE DAGGER WITH BARBED TIP 12.5INCHES LONG
THREE PICTURES OF A CROCODILE JAW DAGGER WITH A TOOTH AT THE TIP 20 IN CHES LONG.

This one ended just by ebay, I was outbid in the last second, a rare Sentani bone dagger found in the lake.

NOT A BONE DAGGER BUT A WOOD DAGGER CLOSE TO THE TYPE. COMES FROM SCHOUTEN IS. NEW GUINEA AND IS 12.IN LONG

PICTURES OF TWO AZMAT BONE DAGGERS,
THREE PICTURES OF CROCODILE JAW DAGGER 23IN. LONG
THREE PICTURES OF CROCODILE AND CASSOWARY BONE DAGGER 24.5IN. LONG

A double pointed Asmat dagger!