Oceania, Central Australia, Arrernte indigenous groups, ca. mid 20th century CE. A tall, polished, wooden object known as a tjurunga (sometimes churinga), in the form of an elongated ovoid. The surface is smooth on one side and incised with criss-crossed lines on the other. The wood is dark and lightly ridged, probably eucalyptus. This is one of a class of objects considered to have religious power by the Arrernte, used in various ceremonies, with their ownership and handling limited to specific members of a kinship group. Size: 17" L (43.2 cm); 20" H (50.8 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex James Willis Gallery, San Francisco, California, USA collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#129672

Light wear and scratching on surface commensurate with age. Light patina and wear on surface.