1937.39.61

Collection type

Object

Description

Carved stone in the shape of a bird.

Geographical reference

Papua New Guinea

Oceania > Melanesia > Papua New Guinea

Person

Field collector Michael James Leahy

PRM source Michael James Leahy

Date

Date collected

circa 1936

Acquisition information

Donated: 1937

Materials and processes

Material Stone, Process Carved

Object numbers

Accession number: 1937.39.61

Research and responses

There is a letter in Beatrice Blackwood papers, PRM ms collections, Box 38 envelope 2, item 196 which reads:

'Mogai Drome

Oct 16th 37

Dear Miss Blackwood,

Got your letter by the last plane and am pleased you found all the gear OK at Carpenters and got it safely away to England, I hope it lands in good order and condition. If it does not and I am anywhere about this part of New Guinea I will be pleased to replace any article etc damaged or destroyed on the trip over, in fact I will always be very pleased to do anything I can for Professors Balfour and Haddon or yourself, so just let me know and if the job is within my scope I will fix it up.

I recently found a small carved or sculptered bird made out of what looks to me like soft volcanic lava stone, it was found right where I am camped, on the surface of the ground, some of my boys were turning over the ground to plant native food and found it, its the first piece of stone carving or sculpting or whatever is the right term for it I have seen, and may give some clue to the culture here. The present people were amazed when I showed them that it represented a bird, and although I have asked many of the old men all round the district they know nothing whatever about it, nor can I find anything like it in this area, its probably related to the pestles and not badly carved stone mortars found in different parts of New Guinea and in fact right through it. I would like to know if its of any interest to you and whether you would like any more if I happen to run across them.

I am also sending a very primitive looking stone axe [see 1937.39.62 AP] blade, this I found under about 20 feet of volcanic ash and rubbish covering the pay streak I am working, it must be very old, as the mountains which were active volcanoes, Mt Hagen, Keluwere? and Yarlbu, have been extinct for hundreds if not thousands of years, as the craters are even worn down and the only volcanic clue now is their shapes and the lava that flowed from them, I am working up this old creek bed, and may run on to other interesting specimens of the old culture and will let you know if I find anything else.

I am very sorry you could not come in, but perhaps some time later you may get another trip out and then I could perhaps help you to get a really good collection of the native material here.

Yours sincerely

MA Leahy

[handwritten] The bird and stone axe have been sent to you via Carpenters Salamana ML

The reply from BB dated Nov 20 1937 says

... 'I am more than delighted to hear that you have sent me the stone bird. I have seen others, Father Kirschbaum has one, and so has Chinnery, and have coveted them greatly. As you suggest, they seem to be connected with the mortars that are sometimes found. One in the possession of Father Kirschbaum is apparently complete, it appears to be a pestle of which the bird forms the handle. They are most interesting, and extremely valuable to our Museum. I would certainly be most grateful for any others you may come across, also anything else of native workmanship that turns up from your site. There are probably many interesting relics of the old culture in the creek bed. ... [AP transcribed 15 August 2013, Beth Asbury identified the significance of the letter whilst compiling a catalogue of the BB papers, MOH has been made aware of the contents]

Search terms: Figure, Tool, Bird Figure, Grinder