Middle Sepik dagger.

[Sajen]

An very old bone dagger with clay head and human hair.

[Sajen]

A Papuan Gulf bone dagger.

[VANDOO]

33cm. LONG, AZMAT, NEW GUINEA BONE DAGGER UNUSUAL SERRATED BLADE.

[VANDOO]

THREE CASSOWARY BONE TOOLS. LEFT TO RIGHT 1. EATING TOOL 2. TOOL FOR THATCHING ROOF . 3 DAGGER

[VANDOO]

TWO AZMAT DAGGERS LONGEST IS 15.5INCHES .

[VANDOO]

AZMAT DAGGER BEING WORN ,NOTE THE BARBED BLADE. I KEEP ADDING NEW MATERIAL AS FOUND TO MAKE A BETTER REFRENCE. IF ANYONE ELSE SEES SOMETHING TO ADD PLEASE DO, THE MORE REFRENCE THE BETTER.

[VANDOO]

HERE ARE SOME RECENT EXAMPLES THAT SORT OF FIT INTO THIS CATEGORY. ONE IS A BILLFISH DAGGER MADE IN NEW GUINEA, ANOTHER INCORPORATES A CASSOWARY HEAD AND ANOTHER A CASSOWARY FOOT. THE OTHER IS BONE WITH A CARVED BIRD IMAGE. THERE SEEMS TO BE A LARGE NUMBER OF NEW GUINEA BONE DAGGERS LATELY AND I SUSPECT MANY IF NOT MOST ARE NOT VERY OLD.

[VANDOO]

HERE IS YET ANOTHER VARIATION. THIS IS A CROCODILE JAW AND CASSOWARY BONE COMBINATION DAGGER. THESE LATEST ITEMS I HAVE POSTED REMIND ME OF THE STRANGE SWORDS COMMING OUT OF AFRICA IN THE PAST INCORPORATING LIZARD AND CROCODILE HEADS AND FEET. 55 CM. LONG

[Sajen]

Here a very nice and old Asmat crocdile jaw dagger.

[Sajen]

And here a Kwoma tribe dagger from the Upper Sepik region.

[Sajen]

A dagger from the Prince Alexander Mountains, now in my collection.

[VANDOO]

YET ANOTHER RECENT DESIGN LOOKS MORE INDONESIAN OR BUGIS THAN NEW GUINEA BUT INFLUENCES ARE WIDESPREAD VIA TV. SO ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. 31CM LONG

[Sajen]

A Sepik dagger with scabbard.

[Sajen]

Just win this nice Asmat crocodile jaw bone dagger.

[Tim Simmons]

What a fantastic thread this has turned out to be. Detlef, I have just noticed your Prince Alexander Mountians dagger. Very helpful as I have this staff that needed some sort of identification. I do not think it is a tourist piece as when I got it, it was covered in a red powder {red ochre} like red powder paint. You could not touch it without getting the powder all over yourself, not what a holiday maker wants? It is not the first item from PNG that I have covered in red powder. I have a pumice stone club that is also very messy to touch. You can see I removed the powder on this staff. A wife and a very messy red powder staining silly man thing do not mix Love the crocodile dagger.

[VANDOO]

ITS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I VISITED THIS POST BUT IT HAS TURNED OUT WELL. DETLEF I REALLY LIKE YOUR CROCODILE JAW DAGGER IT IS THE BEST I HAVE SEEN. TIM I LIKE THE STAFF YOU HAVE AS WELL NICELY CARVED AND UNUSUAL WITH THE SMILING FACE AND SERIOUS FACE AT THE TOP. CONGRADULATIONS TO YOU BOTH.
I TOO HAVE FOUND RED POWDER AS WELL AS WHITE POWDER ON SOME ITEMS IN THE PAST. I EITHER CAREFULLY REMOVE IT OR SEAL IT WITH HAIRSPRAY DEPENDING ON THE ITEM. THIS MAY BE UNECESSARY BUT I LIKE TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY WHEN DEALING WITH UNKNOWN SUBSTANCES. RED, YELLOW AND OTHER COLORS OF OCRE ARE NOT HAZARDOUS BUT THE MAYANS AND SOME OTHERS WERE FOND OF USING A RED POWDER MADE OF MERCURY ORE TO DUST TOMBS AND THINGS. IN EGYPT HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES WERE USED IN TOMBS AS WELL. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN FOR ITS PRESERVATIVE POWERS BUT COULD PROVE DEADLY OR AT LEAST BAD FOR THE HEALTH OF THOSE WHO WERE CARELESS IN HANDELING IT.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

What a fantastic thread this has turned out to be. Detlef, I have just noticed your Prince Alexander Mountians dagger. Very helpful as I have this staff that needed some sort of identification. I do not think it is a tourist piece as when I got it, it was covered in a red powder {red ochre} like red powder paint. You could not touch it without getting the powder all over yourself, not what a holiday maker wants? It is not the first item from PNG that I have covered in red powder. I have a pumice stone club that is also very messy to touch. You can see I removed the powder on this staff. A wife and a very messy red powder staining silly man thing do not mix Love the crocodile dagger.

Thank you Tim! And you could be right, I see also see affinities by the carvings.

Regards,

Detlef

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

ITS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I VISITED THIS POST BUT IT HAS TURNED OUT WELL. DETLEF I REALLY LIKE YOUR CROCODILE JAW DAGGER IT IS THE BEST I HAVE SEEN.

Thank you Barry and I agree, it's a very good one and like usual it was a bargain: http://www.ebay.com/itm/AFRICAN-TRIB...vip=true&rt=nc
But I think that the cover in up is newer as the jaw.

Regards,

Detlef

[VANDOO]

A GOOD PRICE INDEED. I ATTEMPTED TO GET A CROCODILE JAW DAGGER SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO LUCK AND SOON LOST INTEREST AND MOVED ON TO OTHER THINGS BUT PERHAPS I WILL STUMBLE ACROSS ONE AT A GOOD PRICE SOME DAY.
I AGREE THE JAW BONE IS OLDER THAN THE DECORATIVE PARTS BUT AS THEY ARE ALL AUTHENTIC ETHINOGRAPHIC WORKMANSHIP IN ORIGIN ITS NOT A PROBLEM.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

A GOOD PRICE INDEED. I ATTEMPTED TO GET A CROCODILE JAW DAGGER SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO LUCK AND SOON LOST INTEREST AND MOVED ON TO OTHER THINGS BUT PERHAPS I WILL STUMBLE ACROSS ONE AT A GOOD PRICE SOME DAY.
I AGREE THE JAW BONE IS OLDER THAN THE DECORATIVE PARTS BUT AS THEY ARE ALL AUTHENTIC ETHINOGRAPHIC WORKMANSHIP IN ORIGIN ITS NOT A PROBLEM.

Hope you will be successful in near future! And yes, I agree that the more recent "basketry" in up is no problem.

[Sajen]

Have received the crocodile jaw dagger and what a surprise! The dagger is the biggest bone dagger I ever have seen, the poor animal was a monster!
The dagger is over one kilogram in weight, my not small hand don't go complete around the bone. The dagger have a very good old touching patina but sadly an old crack in the bone. This dagger was surely a ceremonial piece.
Here some first pictures, some with a normal sized Asmat dagger side by side.

[VANDOO]

JURASSIC CROC DAGGER WHAT A PLEASANT SURPRIZE ITS SO OLD AND LARGE.
I SAW A OLD LOWER JAW OFF A SALTWATER CROC IN AUSTRALIA THAT WAS 4 FEET LONG, THE SKULL WOULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE LONGER. I WAS TOLD YOU COULD GET AN IDEA OF THE SIZE OF THE CROC IF YOU MULTIPLIED THE LEGNTH OF THE SKULL BY 7.5, SO THE CRITTER WOULD HAVE BEEN AROUND 30 FEET LONG. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RECORD SIZE FOR A SALTY IS BUT THEY ARE TRULY MONSTERS TO BE FEARED. QUITE A FEW TRIBES IN NEW GUINEA CONSIDER THEM AS ANCESTORS, BUT NEVER ONES TO INVITE TO DINNER.

[Sajen]

Thank you Barry! Will try to get more informations about this dagger tomorrow from a friend who is an expert bout New Guinea items.

[Tim Simmons]

Well gone Detlef. I want one. You might find this helpful.

Printed 1960.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

Well gone Detlef. I want one. You might find this helpful.

Printed 1960.

Thank you Tim,

very helpful! This confirms what I have assumed!

[VANDOO]

HERE ARE A FEW MORE DAGGERS I CAPTURED SINCE I LAST POSTED ANY HERE.
PICTURES #1 & #2 ,14INCHES LONG
#3. 14.75 IN. LONG #4 CROCODILE DAGGER, #5 CROCODILE DAGGER SAID TO BE DANI TRIBE. #6. ITAMUL DAGGER # 7. BONE DAGGER N. G.
#8 & #9. SEAMAMAL BONE DAGGER 26 IN. L SAID TO BE DANI
#10. ITAMUL PAYBACK DAGGERS
#11 & #12 ABELAM, 15 INCHES LONG

[VANDOO]

ONE MORE ABELAM DAGGER 17 IN. LONG LOOKS LIKE A PARROTS HEAD ON ONE SIDE AND THE WINGS OR PERHAPS A COCATOOS CROWN FEATHERS ARE CARVED ON THE TOP AT THE OTHER SIDE WITH A HUMAN FIGURE BELOW.

[Tim Simmons]

The parrot heads are a little more stylised on mine.

[manteris1]

here is a few more....................jimmy

[VANDOO]

THEY SAY THESE WERE USED FOR REVENGE KILLING AND LEFT STICKING IN THE SLEEPING VICTUM. JIMMYS FIRST PICTURE LOOKS LIKE IT IS SAYING "I'M AM GLAD YOU'RE DEAD YOU RASKEL YOU!