A Superb Old New Guinea Bullroarer Elema People Orokolo Bay Papuan Gulf Area Papua New Guinea

This Superb Old Bullroarer is from the Elema People of Orokolo Bay in the Papuan Gulf Area of Papua New Guinea

Finely carved with Ancestral Spirits just like the better-known Gope Spirit Boards from the same area. Dating from the late 19th Century as they were collected in 1948.

Bullroarers are a type of musical instrument that when tied to a string a swung around and around quickly produce an otherworldly sound that is thought to be the voices of powerful ancestral spirits. They are used during important ceremonies inside the sacred men’s Ceremonial Houses where they are never seen by women or the uninitiated.

The Elema People or Orokolo Bay produced some of the strongest artworks in the whole Papuan Gulf Area. These are the finest examples I have ever owned.

Bullroarers use in other cultures goes back to Ancient Greece where it was a sacred instrument used in the Dionysian Mysteries, it is also used by the ancient cultures of Australian Aboriginal People in their traditional ceremonies

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of  New Guinea Oceanic Art

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & Art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery.  I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com  where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours.

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If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer 

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

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