aboriginal object, but what and from which region/tribe

Just bought this wooden object today. Looks aboriginal to me. Measurements 7 x 46 x 0,5 cm. Backside totally flat, decorated side with bevelled edges. Except for the bigger hole with the rope to hang it (probably

later) two small nailholes in the tips of the object. One still has a broken of nail in it.
What could it have been used for? And can anyone pinpoint region of tribe from the decoration style?​

 

I did find some info on aboriginal ceremonial boards in an older booklet i have:

Could this be a ceremonial board too? It does mention that the size can be quite small. If so from a different region probably.
The article doesn't decribe how they were used either. Anyone any idea?

 

Yes, maybe. Shape seems similar. However i would expect them to be decorated on both sides, wouldn't they?
Very funny add

 

I'm not sure; but a bullroarer rotates about its long axis in use; so decorating both sides could produce unintended clashing of the designs. Decorating one side only would be quite effective.
Many found through googling are indeed decorated on both sides; though there apparently is a company selling some that are decorated only on one side; leaving the back blank so you can "use it as a postcard," or they'll print your corporate logo on it.....

 

I can see that that could work, but do see quite a lot of bullroarers decorated on both sides.
Hardly ever see a side view, but if it is show the are bevelled on boh sides. 1 side of mine is totally flat. Like a plank. Might also work, maybe i should try

 

A nice piece, John.
The bullroarers I have seen had decoration on both sides, including the little model bullroarer I got as a child in Oz. Which doesn't mean there were never traditional bullroarers with one undecorated side.
Yours is an older one, my guess 1950s or 60s. Another guess is Central Desert, Northern Territory.

Bullroarers are used to make sure no women or children come close to men's ceremonies. One man whirls a bullroarer near the ceremonial ground, and if a woman or child (or non-tribal person) comes within hearing distance, they know they have to walk the other way. The sound is a ceremonial sound, it is not considered a musical instrument.

If you ever try yours out, you may have to try a few times to get the right twist to produce sound. Be very careful, it is a large piece of wood which is whirled around at considerable speed. It can become a deadly projectile.
And don't do it anywhere near your neighbours, it has a low, intense sound which carries far. Even my little model, ca 20cm long, produces considerable decibels.

Edit: Forgot to add, you need a cord of twisted human hair of course. Human hair is used for ceremonial objects, and is strong enough for the force of a whirling bullroarer.

 

OMG, for real!?
I'll start collecting mine. Might take a while, before i have enough
How they make a rope out of it? Spin it? Would it work with my staight dutch hair i wonder.

 

Very interesting, didn't know that.

 

Still wonder whether it could have had another function. Maybe a 'message board'/churinga?
This example seems to have one flat side too, although in this case the flat side is decorated too.

 

A Churinga, whether stone or wood, contains a message, an initiated person can read it and communicate with it. That means the carved design is intricate, like the Churinga you showed.
I have never seen a Churinga with holes in it, I think that would affect the extreme power of a Churinga. It would probably be considered desacration.
I have never seen one with paint either. The power lies in the Churinga, the inside communicates through the carving, which touches the inside. Painting is only on the surface, so I guess it would be useless.
I am sticking with bullroarer. Although the flat back is a bit puzzling.

 

Most Aborigines have wavy to curly hair, but many have straight hair. There are a lot of blondes and brunettes too:



They do not look like Papuas.

 

Ask a contribution from family and friends, neighbours as well.
I think it is much like making dreadlocks in straight hair, endless twisting and teasing (touperen in Dutch).
Here is a detail of a human hair headdress from Mornington Island, northern Australia:

 

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I might do that, and seeing your pictures I guess our hair will do

 

Yes, i think you are right: not a Churinga. But I am still quite puzzled by the flat side.

 

So am I. For a second I thought maybe a woomerah with both ends missing, but that seems silly.

A Churinga has two convex sides too.
I am glad it isn't a Churinga. I love collecting art and artefacts, but some things should be left alone. If one were to come in my possession, I would do my best to find out its origin and return it to the tribe it belongs to.

 

yes, i'm glad too. i read Churinga are very sacred to Aboriginals. And that Australian museums don't show them, because of the 'Aboriginal sensativities' about these objects.

 

They are, and I agree with the museum policy, they shouldn't be on display. To the Aborigines they were not created by human hand, but by the supernatural world. They have tremendous significance and power, and only people with a high degree of initiation are allowed to handle them.

 

Why I am still a little bit doubtful about the bullroarer use, is the burbs on the bigger hole at one side (not on the flat side), see picture above. If that hole would have been original i would have expected it to be smoothened. Even if the object had never been used as a bullroarer. And if it had been used, i would think the friction of the rope would have done the same.

 

I didn't notice those before, you mean the little blobs around the hole? Isn't that hardened pigment? It looks like the painting was done using natural pigments, ochres and charcoal? Ochres are a type of clay, this could be reddish ochre. There seems to be a bit of staining on the rope as well.
It was probably never used for ceremonial purposes.