< Back

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


Enquire About This Artworks >
Collection No. TB-3820
Size 54cm
A Superb Old Bullroarer Orokolo Bay Papuan Gulf Area Papua New Guinea
A Superb Old Bullroarer Orokolo Bay Papuan Gulf Area Papua New Guinea
A Superb Old Bullroarer Orokolo Bay Papuan Gulf Area Papua New Guinea
A Superb Old Bullroarer Orokolo Bay Papuan Gulf Area Papua New Guinea
A Superb Old Bullroarer Orokolo Bay Papuan Gulf Area Papua New Guinea
A Superb Old Bullroarer 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. They are almost certainly from the 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 Oceanic Art

INQUIRE HERE

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.

For all inquiries, please contact us.