Tolai People, Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain, Bismarck Archipelago, PNG, Melanesia. Black palm wood, rattan, tapa, shell (nassa sp.), and feathers. 152,5 cm. 19th century. An old paper label (probably a German tax or customs stamp) with un-decipherable writing in pencil is affixed to the top of the club.
Medium: Shell, Feather-bunchs
Provenance: Provenance : Field collected by either Father Mathäus Rasher (murdered together with a number of missionaries and MSC sisters by the Baining People in Toma Village on August 13, 1904), or by Richard Parkinson (1844/1909). Father Rasher and Parkinson traveled often together with Parkinson collecting art-works and Rasher making converts. A large group of artifacts were shipped back to the main Mission in Hiltrup-Munster (Germany). Many of these items were later sold to Loed van Bussel in the 1960’s. Four of these staffs were in the Hiltrup collection purchased by Van Bussel - two of which are in private collections (one ill. in OCEANIA at ING cultural Center, 2008/09) and two (including the present example) were in the collection of Galerie Meyer (2008/2009).
Ex collection : the Mission of the Sacred Heart (MSC – Mission du Sacré Coeur) Hiltrup, Munster, Germany. Ex coll. : Loed & Mia van Bussel, Amsterdam; a private Dutch collection.
Literature: See plate 8, in Parkinson (1907) for a palau bubu type club and two decorated staffs.
Ref. :
Lautz, T.: FEDERGELD UND MUSCHELKETTEN. Geldgeschichlichen Museum der Kreissparkasse, Köln. 1992.
Parkinson, Richard: DREISIG JAHRE IN DER SUDSEE. Verlage von Streder & Schroder, Stuutgart, 1907.
Heermann, Ingrid (ed.) FORM COLOR INSPIRATION, Oceanic Art from New Britain. Arnoldsche, Stuttgart, Linden Museum, Stuttgart, 2001.
Frank Herreman (Ed.) : OCEANIA. RITUAL SIGNS, AUTHORITY SYMBOLS. Fonds Mercator & ING Cultural Centre, Bruxelles, 2008.
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