A very nice pair of Aboriginal Kurdaitcha feather shoes. Rare find and good matching pair, collected at Fitzroy Crossing in the 1970s. These are made entirely from emu feathers with no modern materials incorporated into the structure (tourist ones have wool and cotton woven into the feathers). There is a greasy feel to the feather shoes and also a reddish substance perhaps ochre on the soles and inside of the shoes.

The pad of emu feathers and ochred fibre is fully intact. The 'upper' of plaited human hair has a breakage at the the rear rim. One only slipper, as presented in the early 1900's to a Western New South Wales grazing family, and then handed down by descent. This extremely rare ethnographic item is well documentedin the early anthropological texts. Its usage was principally in relation to sorcery and revenge expeditions.

(see 16/11/03 - passed in) Message stick Kimberley region, northwest Australia length 67 cm (approximately 27 inches) The stone-carved object has an elongated, flattish form. One side is carved in its entirety with beautiful curvilinear designs; the reverse with less complex designs. It has lovely patina and is in excellent condition.

EARLY LARGE ABORIGINAL BULLROARER This is a large Aboriginal Bullroarer from Central Australia collected in the 1950's.The bullroarer is whirled round and around at arms length making a whirring sound. To the Aboriginal it is the voice of a great ancestral spirit. Only initiated men were allowed to see it and women and children thought the sound emanated directly from spirits. There has been occasional examples of stone bullroarers but normally they were made from wood varying in length from 6 inches to 3 feet. This example has the classic concentric circle pattern on both sides and a human hair string Length 16.5 inches Width 4 inches

A work of art with incised geometric designs and applied worn natural pigments, glossy patina - worn by the men in their hair during ceremonies - Collected Northern Western Australia would be well over 50 years old - Rarely offered - Measures approximately 16 inches or 42cm.

Message stick Kimberley region, northwest Australia length 67 cm (approximately 27 inches) The stone-carved object has an elongated, flattish form. One side is carved in its entirety with beautiful curvilinear designs; the reverse with less complex designs. It has lovely patina and is in excellent condition.

Old Aboriginal message board collected in North Queensland in the 1960's. Measures 27 inches x 5 inches.

A fine hardwood carved board given to a nurse at Jigalong Mission Western Australia. Though they look similar these were not secret mens objects like churingas - would date pre 1950's possible much earlier - has some old damage to one end and has been lightly laquered at some stage - measures approximately 28" (72cm). Offered without reserve.

These were worn in the mens hair. Collected at Jigalong mission in the far north of Western Australia - incised carving to one side - traces of ochre and glossy worn surface - Measures approximately 27" (70cm). Offered at no reserve.

These flat incised boards are best described a symbolic representations closely associated with the ancestors of the Dreamtime. Young initiates are infact told that it is an ancestor in visible form. These objects bought life and strength to individuals and fertility from the mythological being whose spirit animated a particular area. These items were either personally owned or communal possessions. This example was collected in Western Australia in the early 50s it has a good patina and the design has some infill with white pigments. The design is on both sides. Length 13 inches. Width 1.5 inches.

Red pigments and fine incised decoration (reminds me of the stone examples) 14 1/2" x 2 3/4".

FROM THE LAND DOWN UNDER This Australian Aboriginal Bull Roarer is one of 4 lots of EARLY Aboriginal artifacts that I currently have listed. This piece measures 14 3/4" (38cm) long and is in great condition for its age with the patina from the stone carving clearly visible, as you will see from the photos. This piece, as the other aboriginal pieces that I currently have listed, is genuinely old and is an authentic TRIBAL piece, not made for the tourism market. A fantastic collectors' item. Good luck with the bidding.

Fine old aboriginal hairpin from arnham land in the northern territory of australia. the hairpin is typicaly carved with curves on both sides, these were worn in the hair of the senior men. after a brief visit to the western australia museum they informed me that the hairpin is longer than usual and that it may also of been used for scared ceremonials SIZE 57 cm (22.5 inches )length 7 cm ( 3 inches ) wide. DATE pre 1940's. CONDITION no damage to the carvings in good condition.

he person I bought this from was presented it after it was used in a men's ceremony held by Pitjantjatjara men near Ernabella in 1965 - It has three lots of carved concentric circles on both sides and has been coated with red ochre - there is some human hair string attached. It looked to have been used several times. Though this piece has metal tooling marks it is a very nice example. Measures approximately 16 inches 42cm long.

This bullroarer measures 3 x 21.5 inches. It is large and beautiful and would not be out of place in any museum collection. This is from a collection of Central Australian Aboriginal items I obtained from an estate in Tasmania. The original vendor stated that the items had been in the family prior to World War 2. The bullroarer is clearly old and has a patina commensurate with traditional usage. I cannot see any evidence of file marks so it is possibly stone cut. The bullroarer has a slight lateral curve – almost certainly to improve its aerodynamics. Bullroarers were attached to hair string and swung around the head – the sound would warn off women and uninitiated males prior to some ceremonies. The condition is good – no splits or chips. There is a modest reserve - I'm sure it will be met very quickly.

Incised markings - Worn patina from age and use - Rare ethnographic item. It measures approximately 10 inches or 25 cm.

Large example - Fine incised markings - Worn patina from age and use - Rare ethnographic item. It measures approximately 28 inches or 71cm.

This message stick was collected in the 1950s. It is unclear whether it came from Central or Western Desert area. It has two very distinctive patterns on both the front and back and has an attractive worn patina. Length 20 inches X Width 2 inches

This is an Aboriginal Bullroarer from Central Australia collected in the late 1950's.The bullroarer is whirled round and around at arms length making a whirring sound. To the Aboriginal it is the voice of a great ancestral spirit. Only initiated men were allowed to see it and women and children thought the sound emanated directly from spirits. There has been occasional examples of stone bullroarers but normally they were made from wood varying in length from 6 inches to 3 feet. This example is. Length 10 inches Width 2.5 inches It has a fragment of its original human and camel hair string left, and a pecked in design on the front and back.

This carved bullroarer, with it's string of aboriginal hair was collected 30 years ago in the red centre. Made from hardwood, it measures 13 x 2 inches. Hair length-40 inches.

Aboriginal Bullroarer human hair 60s. This delicate bullroarer came from Central Australia collected in the early 60s it has a circular pattern on one side. Still attached is a fragment of human hair string. The circular design has been pecked into the surface and ochre applied. Length 8 inches Width 1 inch

Very nice piece of early Australian Aboriginal carving. Not sure what the object is but I am certain it is a ceremonial piece. Item is 36cms or 1.3FT long and 9.5cms or just under 4in wide. One side has 3 roughly cut spiralling circles of different sizes. The other side has several smaller half and full circles as well as geometrical lies. This side almost remnds me of a primitive stylized animal. The shape is like that of a boat with one end coming to a sharp point while the other end being more rounded. There is a slight rise towards the centre of the object but all over is very flat. A great example of primitive oceanic art.

Incised curvilinear totemic designs to both sides in the typical fashion of the Aboriginal groups of north west Australia. Traces of applied red ochre, worn patina. The design on one sides looks like a water dreaming. A fine piece. Dates from the 1930's. These were worn in the hair of the senior men and used in a similar fashion as a churingas. The hole in the end to make into a bullroarers was possibly added later - bullroarer were twirled in the air on string to make a humming noise for ceremonial purposes. Measures 14 inches 36cm.

This message stick/board is another item from an estate which we liquidated in December 03. It is part of a collection which came to Oregon with a family from Australia about 40 years ago. The stick measures about 22" in length and about 3" in width.

Old Arrente tribe bullroarer with incised decoration of ceremonial or totemic meaning - Collected at Hermannsburg Lutheran Mission Central Australia c. 1930. These were twirled in the air making a humming noise to warn off women, children and uninitiated boys from mens ceremonies. Made from hardwood with applied red ochre pigment and some attached string spun from human hair. Measures 15 1/2 inches or 39.5cm in length.

Lovely and particularly well incised 'Churinga' possibly from the Central Australian region. A commonly used term for sacred objects fashioned out of stone or wood as this item is and ofen made into bull roarers which are spun into the air on a trace (usually human hair) and make a large roaring sound which wards off evil spirits. Churinga's are basically used for sacred rituals and symbolise the connection between man and mytholical deam time or Dreaming. In original untouched condition this still has most of its ochre present and a lovely surface patination. The very edge has a couple of minor edge chips and a very small crack adjacent to one of these areas. We personally feel this doesn't detract at all. Minor wear to the tips but overall in excellent order. Measures 14 1/2" in length and 2 3/4" in width

Very nice aboriginal stone cut object. Item is 62 cms long and 8 cms wide. I do not think it is a bull roarer because of the size and weight of the object. On the ends there is 3 squiggle pattern lines chipped into the wood. The middle section is formed by 6 large square patterns with several smaller squares inside each other. It May not come out in my photos. The item has a great patina and is very very old. Sometime in its life someone has drilled a hole on one end so they could display it on there wall. The carving is on one side only, a really fantastic and outstanding piece for the collection.

This Exquisite 'stone carved' Bull Roarer Measures 27+1/2 inches Length, and 3+1/4 Inches width at the centre, It has a beautifull patina and is in excellent condition. It has a small dark mark "maybe oil,"Has been red ochred and is in superb condition, 'No cracks' Circa Pre-Contact

A very good example with incised designs on both sides, applied red ochre - collected in 1946 by a serviceman returning from WWII. 10 1/2 inches 27cm long

Old Australian Aboriginal bull roarer has a incised design and human hair strap. Bull roarers were used to warn women an children that a ceremony was about to start and to ward off evil spirits by swinging it above your head it make a roaring sound. It measures 12" long and 2" wide and the strap is 12" long. I purchased the item at a flea market in Adelaide the guy I bought it from said it came from northern south Australia.

A good Central Australian woomera, or spearthrower, collected in the 1920s. Typical leaf-shape form, with resin-set terminal to grip. The piece measures 87 cm (34 inches) long, and at its widest point is 11 cm (4.5 inches) across. Excellent old brown patina. A piece made for use with plenty of signs of indigenous wear. The nib is intact and has been bound to the shaft with animal sinew. A barely noticeable hair-line crack in the middle of the piece could be fixed, but has been left in original condition. Original mounting wire on the grip has not been removed either.

This Churinga measures 2 x 15 inches. It was collected in Central Australia in the late 1950's and has a slight patina. The churinga is a dark brown colour - please ignore the blue colour in the photo (caused by flash). Churinga and bullroarers were used in secret mens ceremonies. Apart from a minor chip at one end, the condition is good.

Carved in mulga hardwood and engraved on one side with symbolic designs, this message stick has remnants of ocher infull. Size 10 inches x 1 &#frac12; inches.

This Unique Item is a rare Central Australian 'Aboriginal,' Engraved Wooden Hair Pin, now considered to be a 'Churinga' This Item is over 100yrs old, pre contact for sure. It measures 16 inches long, and 1+3/4 inches wide. It is beautifully relief engraved on both sides, 'with similar designs,' The Aboriginals used to ware these hair pins through the bun in their hair. They have Become Churingas because of the sacred totemic designs engraved on them which are directly related to the tribe and the 'then' owner. I believe this one is 'Arrunta'. Apart from two 'tiny' chips on the edges, It is in Excellent condition. This Item is of Museum Quality for its rareness and age as well as its condition.

I collected this Item from Alice Springs 10 yrs ago from an Antique Store in the Todd Mall Called Classic Collections, Which was owned and managed by a man named Roy Frost, 'he is retired now' He was an ardent collector and had over 1000 artefacts when i met him. This Item was placed in his hands on consignment along with about 20 others including the hard wood shovel and water carrrier that i have listed, by the son of the retired government appointed Aboriginal protector or overseer, 'Alice Springs' who was employed by the government from about 1950 to 1980, or there abouts.

He definitely didnt want it to become public knowlege that he had dismatled his fathers collection, for good reason, as he worked for the NT government also in a similar roll, and probably still does, some of his artefacts were on loan to the Alice Museum in the Todd Plaza for many years, when I purchased this piece I was told it was Arrernte, I am a keen collector myself, and a hard grader, the photos of this item do not do it justice, it is precontact for sure

PS I lived in Alice for over 5 yrs, and can assure you that Artefact collectors and dealers are 'despised' by the local Aboriginals and communitys.

Great looking hand carved bullroarer collected from a Central Australia mission in the early 1960s. Solid hard wood, 19 inches long with a full 40 inches of human hair string. Top collection and conversation piece. No Reserve.

GREAT ORIGINAL OLD AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL PIECE MEASURES 9 INCHES LONG.WE ARE NO EXPERTS ON ABORIGINAL ART BUT WE THINK IT MAY BE A MESSAGE STICK.THE SOURCE IS FROM A RURAL AREA OF QUEENSLAND. THE PIECE HAS NICE SPIRAL AND LINED ART WORK AND HAS A LOVELY PATINA TO THE WOOD.THERE IS SOME LIGHT WEAR FROM YEARS OF HANDLING BUT IS IN GOOD OVERALL CONDITION.

A fine and early West. Australian pearl shell pendant from the Kimberley region; finely incised with interlocking designs and further decoration on convex side which is most unusual. 7 &#frac12;" (19cms) long x 5 &#frac12;" (14cms) (thining holes to centre of shell) These beautiful Kimberley pearl shell pendants are usually incised with intricate patterns on their convex surface. The patterns represent mythological themes associated with the rain. The pendants are highly valued as objects of exchange by the natives and are traded many hundreds of miles from the Kimberley into central Australia.

A fine early West Australian churinga with decoration Length : 29" (73.5cms)

Dating from the 1960's and originated from the Aboriginal groups of central Australia these where twirled in the air to create a whirring sound that would warn away women, children and un-initiated men from sacred ceremonies. Incised totemic markings to the front - Has a portion of its original human hair string attached - 13 inches 33cm long.

From an old American collection comes this rare Australian aboriginal artifact that is rarely seen on the market, CHURINGA. They were incised from stone and then ochred in red. Churingas for the aboriginal were like personal diaries- etched pictographs in stone. They tell of highly personal and important events: family/clan activities, meetings, campgrounds, natural environment, their ancestral sacred "dreamings". This incised and ochred stone churinga (message stone) reveals important messages about indigenous Aboriginal life in the outback. Circles could represent members of a family or clan, meeting places, camp sites, water holes, animal tracks. Lines might mean paths or spears; and dots rain, ants, eggs, or animal tracks. this is a wonderful old vintage example circa early 1900's with fine old dark patina. 5." long x 3" wide, and an old repair on tip. DIMENSIONS: 5." length by 3" wide. PROVENANCE: from the estate of Professor Joseph Birdsell specialist in Aboriginal Art, collected in the 1940's-1950's CONDITION: Beautiful old dark patina, natural red ochre; repair at tip with substantially all red ochre still present MARKETPLACE OBSERVATION: Old stone churingas rarely appear in the marketplace and we have observed old albeit somewhat larger examples offered in the $1500-$3000 range. This beautiful old specimen with solid provenance has a modest reserve that would enable you to acquire it for substanitally less.

Here's a great collection starting piece that shouldn't cost you an arm and leg to add to your collection! This GUARANTEED OLD & AUTHENTIC Australian Aboriginal wood churinga (Tjuringa), 18" in length, was collected at Ray Station, Southwest Queensland before 1920. It is significant because of the dramatic Aboriginal "concentric circles" incised upon it; three circles on the front and two on the reverse. Churingas are the most deeply personal item an Aboriginal possesses. Each person's churinga is like a "personal diary" or auto-biography marked with motifs representing life's major milestones and turning points, either spiritual or physical. Each simple line, dot, or circle, may represent initiation, elevation to a higher spiritual status, falling in love, birth or death of loved ones, an illness, dream vision, or a battle kill for example.. Each motif functions like a knotted string around your pinky, to remind you of somehting significant in your life. These motifs are personal to the owner and we can only guess at what each one definitely means. In the 1981-1982 exhibition book: ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIA presented by the Australian Gallery Directors Council (a fabulous exhibition of important and significant Aboriginal material culture from Australia's leading museums), the authors include a section on probable decoding Aboriginal motifs such as these circles. We are photographing a portion of this page to pass onto you some of this fascinating information. "Concentric circles" may have multiple meanings such as campsites, breasts, stones, wells, rockholes, cloaca, fire, holes, fruit, or hills. Our specimen is beautifully incised and still retains most of its original red ochre patina but has suffered a bit and has been repaired as can be seen in the photos. These significant tribal artifacts are wonderful authentic histories and deserve great reverance. NO RESERVE!

Circa 1960 The Old fellows at Yalata Mission Sth. Aus. Retraced the cerremony cycle by 4 wd vehicle, with one of the missionarys, They collected Many Items from different cerremony sites, some of the Items i was offered were 12 ft tall, the ceremonys had been finished for a long time and these and the other things they collected were destined to Rot, Some of the pieces i was offered had been damaged by white ants, the old fellas didnt want to give custodianship to the young fellas as they had become increasingly unreliable due to Alcohol abuse, The ceremonys had stopped, the cycle had been broken, They were not trusted, and the old fellas reckoned that These things would only get them into trouble, I am not sure wether the Missionary fellow was given these Items or payed for them , He was a Keen collector at the Time, I purchased these Items and many other Items from the same collection from Coober Pedy, In Aprox. 1991, they were for sale in his Partners gallery, because he had gone broke looking for Opal in the wrong place. I was given Typed information to this effect when I bought them. I believe they are Southern Pitjantjatjara.

Circa 1960 The Old fellows at Yalata Mission Sth. Aus. Retraced the cerremony cycle by 4 wd vehicle, with one of the missionarys, They collected Many Items from different cerremony sites, some of the Items i was offered were 12 ft tall, the ceremonys had been finished for a long time and these and the other things they collected were destined to Rot, Some of the pieces i was offered had been damaged by white ants, the old fellas didnt want to give custodianship to the young fellas as they had become increasingly unreliable due to Alcohol abuse, The ceremonys had stopped, the cycle had been broken, They were not trusted, and the old fellas reckoned that These things would only get them into trouble, I am not sure wether the Missionary fellow was given these Items or payed for them , He was a Keen collector at the Time, I purchased these Items and many other Items from the same collection from Coober Pedy, In Aprox. 1991, they were for sale in his Partners gallery, because he had gone broke looking for Opal in the wrong place. I was given Typed information to this effect when I bought them. I believe they are Southern Pitjantjatjara.

Circa 1960 The Old fellows at Yalata Mission Sth. Aus. Retraced the cerremony cycle by 4 wd vehicle, with one of the missionarys, They collected Many Items from different cerremony sites, some of the Items i was offered were 12 ft tall, the ceremonys had been finished for a long time and these and the other things they collected were destined to Rot, Some of the pieces i was offered had been damaged by white ants, the old fellas didnt want to give custodianship to the young fellas as they had become increasingly unreliable due to Alcohol abuse, The ceremonys had stopped, the cycle had been broken, They were not trusted, and the old fellas reckoned that These things would only get them into trouble, I am not sure wether the Missionary fellow was given these Items or payed for them , He was a Keen collector at the Time, I purchased these Items and many other Items from the same collection from Coober Pedy, In Aprox. 1991, they were for sale in his Partners gallery, because he had gone broke looking for Opal in the wrong place. I was given Typed information to this effect when I bought them. I believe they are Southern Pitjantjatjara.

Circa 1960 The Old fellows at Yalata Mission Sth. Aus. Retraced the cerremony cycle by 4 wd vehicle, with one of the missionarys, They collected Many Items from different cerremony sites, some of the Items i was offered were 12 ft tall, the ceremonys had been finished for a long time and these and the other things they collected were destined to Rot, Some of the pieces i was offered had been damaged by white ants, the old fellas didnt want to give custodianship to the young fellas as they had become increasingly unreliable due to Alcohol abuse, The ceremonys had stopped, the cycle had been broken, They were not trusted, and the old fellas reckoned that These things would only get them into trouble, I am not sure wether the Missionary fellow was given these Items or payed for them , He was a Keen collector at the Time, I purchased these Items and many other Items from the same collection from Coober Pedy, In Aprox. 1991, they were for sale in his Partners gallery, because he had gone broke looking for Opal in the wrong place. I was given Typed information to this effect when I bought them. I believe they are Southern Pitjantjatjara.