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.
Local Name
munumburabura
Physical Description
A section of skin from a stingray fixed onto a piece of wood that narrows at one end to form a handle.
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.
More Information
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Object/Medium
Rasp
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Maker
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Cultural Groups
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Locality
Alligator River, Western Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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Date Produced
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Collector
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Date Collected
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Object Measurements
295 mm (Length), 40 mm (Width), 15 mm (Height)
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Classification
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Date Made
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Maker
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Clan/Language Group
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Place Made
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Indigenous Region
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Keywords
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Collection Names
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Type of item
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Discipline
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Category
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Collecting Areas
Australian Indigenous - Northern Australia and Queensland and Torres Strait Islands