Folk and Outsider Art Collection
Nationality
Oceanic
Preview
Date of Work
19th c.
Medium
Wood with traces of paint and lime
Height
42 1/2"
Width
8 1/2"
Depth
1 1/4"
Collection/Provenance
Art & Design Study Collection, James Smith Pierce Collection
Status
Stored: WS_09, Box 3D14
Location
UND Art Collections Repository
Additional Information
Bullroarer board. Origin: Papua New Guinea
Ancient musical instruments
Long wooden paddle shaped object, red, black and white with ancestral figure at its center. Bullroarers, found throughout New Guinea, use the boards in sacred ceremonial practices to re-create voices of the spirits. The board would be attached to a rope through the hole, and swung in circles above the bullroarer, creating a thunderous noise in the air. Also used as a form of communication across distance.
James Smith Pierce Collection
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
Chip at bottom
Rights
Images are provided for educational purposes only and may not be reproduced for commercial use. Images may be protected by artist copyright. A credit line is required to be used for any public non-commercial educational purpose. The credit line must include, “Image courtesy of the University of North Dakota.”