Summary

This armband was used while dancing at the graveside during a funeral ceremony known as pukamani, and is thought to have been made for a child. It was collected by Baldwin Spencer who was hosted on Bathurst and Melville Islands in 1911 by the legendary buffalo shooter, Joe Cooper. The two men had met the year before in Darwin, and their collaboration resulted in over a thousand objects being collected, mainly from Tiwi people on the islands, but also from mainlanders, in particular Iwadja people who worked directly for Cooper on his lugger and in his camp. Spencer is known to have purposely purchased a bolt of coloured cloth in Darwin to take with him on this trip to use as a commodity of exchange. No doubt he also traded for important artefacts with sticks of tobacco.

Local Name

Bellin bellin

Physical Description

A circular base made from cane overwound with animal fur string embedded with two rows of Abrus seeds set in a circle in the centre. Three tassles of animal fur string are attached to the ring.

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