1884.19.319

Collection type

Object

Description

Spear with long bamboo shaft and four barbed iron prongs bound to the shaft with plant fibre. [RH [OPS move] 23/7/2018]

Geographical reference

Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Union Territory of India)

Asia > Southern Asia > Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Union Territory of India)

Nicobar Islands

Person

Maker Unknown Maker

Field collector Edward Horace Man

PRM source Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection

Date / Period

Date made: Possibly before 1878

Date collected

?Prior to 1878

Acquisition information

Donated: 1884

Materials and processes

Material Wood Plant, Material Iron Metal, Material Plant Fibre, Process Carved, Process Forged (Metal), Process Bound

Dimensions

Length: max 2156 mm, Width: max 62 mm, Depth: max 15 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 1884.19.319 PR no.: 168/ 11935

Associated publications

JAI 1878: 466 'Mîân fôän fish spear having four points Pl XV' [Taken from the 'List of Andamanese and Nicobarese implements ornaments etc presented to Major General Lane Fox by EH Man esq and thus described by Mr Man 18th September 1877'] See also JAI 1882: 275 [EH Man]. Indian Antiquary, Feb. 1895, 'Catalogue of Nicobarese objects', p. 44 '18 (m) Miàn-loe (lit. three-pronged spear) 19 (m) Miàn-foan lit. four-(in a row) pronged spear. 20 (m) Miàn-kanòp lit. four-(in a circle) pronged spear. And 21 (m) Miàn-tanai lit. five-pronged spear. Used for spearing fish by day and by torchlight at night. Sometimes also used for spearing flying-foxes, when hanging asleep from a branch: for this purpose a long bamboo pole is substituted for the ordinary shaft, so as to be able to reach the bat by a mere thrust.'[AP Leverhulme project on founding collection 1995-1998]

Search terms: Weapon, Fishing, Spear, Fishing Accessory