bavarikon4U
Notice
This object originates from colonial contexts and demands an examination of colonial history. bavarikon is displaying this object in order to enable and promote, among other things, a critical, sensitive examination of colonial history. As the operator of bavarikon, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library) would like to point out that the acquisition of the object by the acquiring or holding institution or its predecessors or by persons may have been unethical or unlawful by contemporary standards.
Description
Dagger
Weapons represent the largest group of objects in the extensive collection of Karl Nauer (1874-1962). They originate mainly from the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands. Nauer was a captain of the North German Lloyd between 1903 and 1913 in the colony of German New Guinea and donated already in 1913 an extensive ethnographic collection to his home municipality of Obergünzburg (district Ostallgäu).
Daggers and spears with ray spines from the Admiralty Islands are much rarer than the similar types of obsidian-tipped weapons which were increasingly produced for barter trade with Europeans since the middle of the 19th century at the latest. They are present by the dozens also in Nauer's collection.
Stingray spines have barbs on both sides and, like shark teeth, cause poorly healing wounds due to the uneven cutting surface. The presented dagger is very elaborately hafted: twisted fiber cords, on which colored glass beads are strung, are covered with putty and decorated in several colors. This extends into an intricate carving of a crocodile represented by its head and front legs.
The very fine and careful workmanship and the overall impression of the object suggest that this weapon was made well before 1900. It is probably one of the oldest pieces in the Nauer collection.
Description in Tok Pisin
Sap samting bilong pait
Ol kain sampting bilong pait makim bikpela lain moa yet long ol objeks ol stap insait long dispela bikpela koleksen tru bilong Karl Nauer (1874-1962). Dispela olgeta samting ol kam long Bismarck Archipelago na Solomon Ailans. Nauer em bin wanpela kapten long North German Lloyd namel long 1903 inap long 1913 long koloni bilong German Niugini and em donetim pinis long 1913 bikpela etnograpik koleksen tru long ples minisopaliti long Obergünzburg (district Ostallgäu).
Ol sap samting bilong pait na spia ol sapim het we em luk olsem bun bilong pis em ol kam long Admiralty Ailans na em hat tru long painim i no olsem narapela kain samting bilong pait we ol wokim bai sap na ol bin yusim long traid wantain ol Europeans long taim bipo olsem 19 pela sentori. Planti ol dispela kain samting long pait em ol stap insait long koleksen bilong Nauer.
Ol bun bilong stingrei ol mekim long tupela saet na olsem tit bilong sak em bai givim moa bagarap long kain sua taim kamap bikos bai save katim gut wanem hap long skin bilong birua. Dispela sap samting bilong pait ol prisentim ol bin bilasim gut tru wantem ol kain rop, ol kala glas bids nae m tu soim hau ol mekim bikpela wok long kaving makim het na tupela lek long fran bilong pukpuk.
Dispela objek em wanpela kain samting bilong pait ol bin mekim long taim bipo long 1900. Gutpela han work and planti save stap long mekim dispela na tu em soim samting bai ol mangalim objek. Luksave tu stap olsem dispela mas wanpela long ol olpela tru samting em stap insait long koleksen bilong Nauer.