Lot Essay
The spears also have a family tradition that they were collected by Charles Darwin on his voyage in the Beagle, a close friend of Sir Charles Lyell. See note beneath preceeding lot.
Details
Eight Melanesian spears
That from New Britain with openwork scroll panel below the erratic rows of carved barbs to the long point, human hair attached to a short rattan panel and feathers to much twisted fibre trelliswork casing, the three Solomon Islands spears each with red and yellow "grasswork" panel and small carved stylised figure below the barbed points, the three palmwood spears of simple form
108½in. (2m.76cm.) to 131in. (3m.33cm.) long (8)
That from New Britain with openwork scroll panel below the erratic rows of carved barbs to the long point, human hair attached to a short rattan panel and feathers to much twisted fibre trelliswork casing, the three Solomon Islands spears each with red and yellow "grasswork" panel and small carved stylised figure below the barbed points, the three palmwood spears of simple form
108½in. (2m.76cm.) to 131in. (3m.33cm.) long (8)
Provenance
Sir Charles Lyell (1794-1875)