Cassowary Bone Dagger from Papua New Guinea

Cassowary Bone Dagger from the Central Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Bone daggers were both symbolic and utilitarian being that they functioned as objects of artistic expression with the primary function of stabbing people at close quarters.

Most daggers were shaped from the tibiotarsus (shin bone) of cassowaries. Cassowary are large flightless birds found in New Guinea and Australia and can grow to up to 5 feet tall. (Distant relative of the emu.)

Sepik-area examples feature incising that has been accentuated with pigments. Designs can be geometric, along with depictions of either human faces, animals, or benevolent clan spirits that protect yam harvests. This piece has remnants of the original paint and a fine dark patina.  

This piece is in excellent condition, has been in storage for over 60 years, and was part of the collection of Dean Warner a graduate of Mexico City College and Thunderbird. Mr. Warner was a noted dealer in Pre-Columbian artifacts and a prolific collector of international ethnic folk art. He collected this piece during the early 1960s on location while attending the Abelam Peoples 'Yam Festival.' Art from his collection is on permanent display at The Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University in Phoenix. 

Presented on a new museum-quality acrylic stand and would add interest to a variety of interiors from a Dark & Moody Study to 1970s Revival, Boho, Tribal, or even Mid-Century Modern.

Place of Origin: Central Highlands, Papua New Guinea (PNG)

Date of Manufacture: early/mid-20th century

Condition: Excellent

Wear: Consistent with age and use. Please refer to pictures.

Dimensions:

Dagger: 12.75 in. H X 1.75 in. W (widest point) X 1.5 in. D (widest point)

Stand: 2 in. L X 2. in. W X 2 in. H with display rod 13 in. H / Total: 15.75 in. H

Reference:  

Similar items are featured in the permanent collections at The Met, Art of The Ancestors Galleries, the Hood Museum at Dartmouth University and the Bowers Museum.

The Royal Society, New Guinea Bone Daggers Were Engineered To Preserve Social Prestige, 2018 Article by Nathaniel J. Dominy, Samuel T. Mills, Christopher M. Yakacki, Paul B. Roscoe and R. Dana Carpenter.