Item X 18751 Rasp, munumburabura, Gaagudju, Alligator River, Western Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, 1912

Summary

The rough skin of stingray and shark was used by Aboriginal people for smoothing wood during the manufacture of artefacts. It was replaced by ground up glass and then sandpaper.

Physical Description

A section of skin from a stingray fixed onto a piece of wood that narrows at one end to form a handle.

Local Name

munumburabura

Significance

This is a very rare object and at least one other is found in the museum's collection collected over twenty years later. This example has excellent documentation making it extremely important culturally and historically.