Obsidian Bladed Daggers Manus Admiralty Islands Papua New Guinea

These four daggers with finely made obsidian blades and the handles are made wood covered by Parinarium Nut (putty nut).
Obsidian is a naturally occurring glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock from rapidly-frozen lava. The Bismarck Archipelago, off the north-east coast of Papua New Guinea, is a rich natural resource of obsidian; in particular, the islands of Lou and Manus in the Admiralty Islands. The Admiralty Islands are an archipelago group of 18 islands in the Bismarck Archipelago to the north of Pspua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean.

Obsidian has been used for projectile points since ancient times. This is due to its lack of crystal structure, which gives the blade edges almost molecular thinness. Even today, well-crafted obsidian blades are used in medical surgery since their cutting edge is many times sharper and finer than that of even high-quality surgical steel scalpels.

Provenance: Collected during WWII by a USA Serviceman Stationed on Manus Islands

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