A Group of 10 Kiwai Island/Trans-Fly arrows, Kiwai Island and surrounding mouth of the Fly River, Western Province, Papua New Guinea.Of classical form, the arrows a mix of various types of points, some barbed, serrated, geometric-stepped, and tubular, all carved of black palm and lashed to the cane shafts in typical style. Landtman who lived on Kiwai Island in prior to 1913 photographed many examples of arrows of these types (Landtman, 1935) collected on Kiwai Island but originating from the “Mouth of the Fly” – namely various peoples on the left and right banks of the Fly River where it empties into the Gulf of Papua. Landtman was clear that the arrows on Kiwai island were virtually all traded in from neighboring peoples. It is interesting to compare these to arrows of the Western Gulf as the style probably continues further up the Gulf, possibly as far as the Gama River. By the Kerewa region, the style seems to change to a more related to an ancestral Kikori prototype that may relate to the Strickland area. These are older arrows acquired by Marc Seidler from a private Australian collection in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s.Acquired by Marc Seidler from a private Australian collection in the late 1970’s or early 1980s. This lot of arrows range is size from 59 inches long up to 68.5 inches long.

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