Antique Bone Dagger Papua New Guinea Sepik River

Antique circa 1900 A.D. bone dagger from Papua New Guinea's Sepik River Province. The bone blade of tapering form with a pointed sharp tip is decorated with an incised pattern.

The dagger is topped with a hood crafted from meticulously woven fiber string, and it's further embellished with eight tassels made of a captivating mix of cassowary feathers, shells, and bone beads.

CONDITION: Good, well preserved. It shows signs of usage in all dagger parts with a dark, natural patina. Woven fiber string with old natural age dirt, feathers tassels slightly worn.

Most bone daggers are dyed brown, but this one has an old, brownish-yellow, natural glossy patina suggesting long-term use as a weapon.

REFERENCES:

The related dagger was sold by Bonhams in New York in 2012 as part of their African, Oceanic & Pre-Columbian Art catalog. It was listed as Lot 255 and had an estimated value of US$800 - US$1,200.

Please see the link below:

https://www.bonhams.com/auction/20065/lot/255/ceremonial-dagger-east-sepik-province-papua-new-guinea/

We will provide the buyer with copies of the pages from the mentioned reference, together with a certificate of authenticity.

MEASUREMENTS: Overall length: 32 cm (21.85 inches).

Weight: 143 grams.

PROVENANCE:

Acquired from the old Canadian collection of ethnographical specimens.

Please view our store contents to see other rare objects from this collection.