Minneapolis Institute of Art

Ceremonial Bull Roarer

Australian Aboriginal artist

Date

c. 1900

Medium

Wood

Culture

Aboriginal

Department

Arts of Oceania

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Bull roarers were used in Aboriginal ceremonies to represent the voices of spirits. Performers swung them rapidly around their head on a string, which created a loud humming sound. The incised designs on the surface are a classic form in Aboriginal art, but their specific interpretations were known only to the object’s creator and those associated with its ceremonial use. Australia, Oceania

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