Boomerang information? region?

fearn · 15th June 2008, 11:03 PM

Superficially it looks genuine, although I think it's probably a kylie (non-returning hunter) rather than a boomerang (returning toy). A boomerang would have a much less obtuse angle. I've seen plenty of pics of kylies with those grooves, what bothers me is the check pattern at the end. If genuine, I'd guess some Central tribe, and I don't have to book with me to guess better than that.

Here are some suggestions for determining whether it's genuine.

1) wood grain: does it run down the length of the kylie (i.e. did they use a bent branch) or does the grain run out the side (i.e. they used a board). Extra points if there's evidence that the wood was bent under heat prior to shaping, as seen by charred spots on the wood (they had to use a campfire to heat the green wood).

2) Cross-sectional shape. If it looks like a wing, with the grooves on the upper side, it's more likely an art object

3). Damage on the edges. A genuine, used kylie would show marks from hitting kangaroos, being used as an impromptu digging stick, starting a friction fire, etc. An art object will be in better shape.

4) The hard one: throw it. Gently. At a soft target (think grassland, haybales, etc.). I'm not a boomerang maker, but there's a wonderful book (Primitive Technology, A Book of Earth SkillsPrimitive Technology, A Book of Earth Skills) that goes into the process of making a kylie in detail. The final part is that you've got to tune the thing so that it flies straight, and if it's an art object, it hasn't been tuned to throw. While the piece is old and quite possibly distorted, if it flies straight when thrown, someone took the time to make it work, and it's genuine.

My 0.02 cents,

F

15th June 2008, 11:03 PM	#3
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Superficially it looks genuine, although I think it's probably a kylie (non-returning hunter) rather than a boomerang (returning toy). A boomerang would have a much less obtuse angle. I've seen plenty of pics of kylies with those grooves, what bothers me is the check pattern at the end. If genuine, I'd guess some Central tribe, and I don't have to book with me to guess better than that. Here are some suggestions for determining whether it's genuine. 1) wood grain: does it run down the length of the kylie (i.e. did they use a bent branch) or does the grain run out the side (i.e. they used a board). Extra points if there's evidence that the wood was bent under heat prior to shaping, as seen by charred spots on the wood (they had to use a campfire to heat the green wood). 2) Cross-sectional shape. If it looks like a wing, with the grooves on the upper side, it's more likely an art object 3). Damage on the edges. A genuine, used kylie would show marks from hitting kangaroos, being used as an impromptu digging stick, starting a friction fire, etc. An art object will be in better shape. 4) The hard one: throw it. Gently. At a soft target (think grassland, haybales, etc.). I'm not a boomerang maker, but there's a wonderful book (Primitive Technology, A Book of Earth SkillsPrimitive Technology, A Book of Earth Skills) that goes into the process of making a kylie in detail. The final part is that you've got to tune the thing so that it flies straight, and if it's an art object, it hasn't been tuned to throw. While the piece is old and quite possibly distorted, if it flies straight when thrown, someone took the time to make it work, and it's genuine. My 0.02 cents, F