Spear Finial, Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea

Alexander Morrison, Singleton, New South Wales
Don Morrison, Singleton, New South Wales, by descent from the above
John Magers, Sydney, acquired from the above
Aaron & Joyce Furman, Sintra, acquired from the above in 1976
Thence by descent

Very good condition overall, with wear consistent with age and use. Some scattered nicks, chips, and scratches. A crack to the proper right side of the figure's face, just in front of the ear. A fine crack on the proper left side, between the crocodile head and the back of the figure. A fine crack at the base of the feet of the figure, and another crack at the proper left side of the base, towards the back, below the end of the crocodile's jaw. A few other tiny cracks. The front section of one of the red beads is broken and missing, as visible in the catalogue illustration. An inclusion or seam to the obsidian, running diagonally in the lower portion. A chip, possibly inherent, to the obsidian in the top left portion, and a possible small loss to the tip. Fine varied patina, with lime and traces of ochre pigment to the figure, the crocodile, and the binding of the blade, and earth encrusted, with some wear, to the cane binding.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Ingrid Heerman states that the art of the Admiralty Islands often uses the human form in combination with the animal, particularly representations of the lizard or, as is the case in the present lot, the crocodile. This combination of these human and animal forms may lead the observer to wonder 'about the transformations hinted at and the relationship between men and the ancestors possibly thus depicted.' (Heerman in Conru, ed., Bismarck Archipelago Art, 2014, p. 106).

Here the upper jaw of a crocodile appears on the back of the male figure, who has the prognathous chin and bellicose expression typical of 'Manus style' objects. He has characteristically elongated and pierced earlobes, armbands, and lime filled motifs on his legs, which depict scarification marks. Extensive trade between the different islands means that it is difficult to consider any object 'a definite cultural marker for any single group' (ibid., p. 84), although by repute this particular spear comes from the coastal Matankol (or Matankor) people, who Heerman notes were regarded as the most 'inventive group' (ibid.). Slightly unusual here is the depiction of what appears to be a pectoral ornament, the form of which suggests it may represent a bird. It is possibly a frigate bird, which was symbolically 'important to fishermen […] as a messenger' (Kaufmann, et al., eds., Admiralty Islands, 2002, p. 45). The feathers of the frigate bird were used in the famous warriors' nape ornaments, which were reportedly made by the Matankol.

The blade of the present spear is obsidian, several forms of which occur in the Admiralty Islands. Parkinson states that the blades were made by specialist knappers (Parkinson, Dreissig Jahre in der Südsee, 1907, p. 373), but there is no early account of how the blades were hafted. Here the blade is bound to the top of the figure with fine fiber. This intricate binding has then been painted to accentuate its patterns, and adorned with red and white trade beads.