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Bull-roarer, Kaiaimuru, 19th–early 20th century
Wood, lime
53.3 x 7 x 0.6 cm (21 x 2 3/4 x 1/4 in.)
The Marcia and John Friede Collection, a Promised Gift to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco L05.1.176

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Artist Biography: (none) PROVENANCE: "Collected by Thomas Schultz-Westrum in 1966." (Catalog #471, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 163.) PUBLICATIONS: 2005 - "Below the two faces on the bull-roarer in pl. 470, the upside down image may depict the birth of a child. In the Gulf of Papua, the bull-roarers were traditionally used to produce spirit voices-as women and children were made to believe-by whirling them on a cord, although many of them lack a hole for the cord to be attached. They also served as cult or spirit objects and were frequently traded from village to village (Thomas Schultze-Westrum, personal communication). Bull-roarers are also thought to be one of the antecedents of the spirit boards, gope, kwoi, etc. (Douglas Newton, personal communication). For a summary of their significance, see Lewis-Harris, 1966: 27. For some other examples from Era River, see Bellier, 1974, cat. nos. 28-30. For examples from the Purari delta, see Lewis, 1931: 30, fig. 40." (Catalog #471, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 163.)

Related Keywords
Kaiaimuru roarer Bull Francisco San Museums Arts Fine Gift Promised 163 p 2 Volume 2005 Friede John Marcia Jolika Masterpieces Art 471 Catalog 1966 Westrum Schultz Thomas by Collected dialect Gibaio speakers language Kiwai northeastern village Aimei Oceania Province Gulf Guinea New Papua Melanesia Instrument Musical lime Wood 0709200406050572 A361091 L05.1.176 AOA