Big Melanesian spear?

[Tim Simmons]

I am assuming this is from the western Pacific. Melanesia or Micronesia 8ft long, the carved part is 17in. Nice thing to hold, javlin like. Sorry the pics are not that good as the light was fading so some with flash on and others not. Not good either way. Any more information?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/spear001.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/spear002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/spear007.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/spear.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/spear006.jpg

[Freddy]

Who is the native carrying the spear ? :p :D

Nice item, though.

Fred

[colin henshaw]

Looks like from New Guinea, they used palmwood for spears (and bows) a lot there. Also used in Solomon Islands.

Regards

[Tim Simmons]

Thanks Colin my thoughts also. It is an old piece.

Freddy it looks like a Briton you can tell by the slippers :o :cool: .

[Bill M]

Does look New Guinea. Possibly Fly River area.

[katana]

Hi Tim,
very nice....no 'tip' damage...and full length .. :cool: Be careful with that thing you might poke someones eye out ......and judging by your 'black eye' ...its already happened to you :D :p

Regards David

[fearn]

It is a nice piece, and I agree, it doesn't look like anything from Polynesia or Micronesia. The asymmetric teeth are interesting.

Great find. Like the native mask on your model, too.

F

[Tim Simmons]

It seems that Palm wood was used in New Britain, New Ireland and other Islands. Strangely in a book I have on the Admiralty Islands the spears are obsidian or ray spine tipped. Does not mean they were exclusively so.

[Tim Simmons]

Just found this pic from "Shields of Melanesia, University of Hawai'i press"

San Christobal, Solomon Islands. Among the many varried examples present in the book this appears almost identical even seems to have the woven fibres near the carved barbs.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/spear009.jpg

[Tim Simmons]

Looking more closely at the pictures in the afore mentioned book. This spear looks a much better match, I could be making 2+2=5. This picture is of Busimai, a distinguished Mambare River chief, with his wife. The Mambare River is on the north coast of the eastern finger of PNG. I have also post some interesting background to the picture. The other pictures just help show the varriation of spear types found. They are far from a standard form which reminds me of the Congo. I cannot post all the pictures and the focus is on the lowlands.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/spear010.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/spear002-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/spear013.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/spear015.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/spear011.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/spear012.jpg

[Tim Simmons]

Last picture from the Solomons. It also looks like mine. Just thought this picture too cool not to add.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/spear016.jpg

[Spunjer]

hopefully this'll help:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Spunjer/231b3772.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Spunjer/0fe07109.jpg

[Tim Simmons]

Yes indeed, very nice. Make mine look quite modest. I assume this is not your sitting room. Where and what is this collection? do they have a publication including material of this kind? There are very good collections of Melanesian material in Holland and Germany, perhaps members from said countries could provide some information especially about any museum publications?

Look at these two wonderful spears from the Admiralty islands. From "admiralty islands art from the south seas" museum rietberg Zurich.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/spear017.jpg

[Spunjer]

this actually belongs to bernice pauahi bishop museum in honolulu, hawai'i. i took the pics back in '05...