Antique Australian aboriginal carved emu egg no. 3 The spotted look of palmwood

The spotted look of palmwood is caused by fossilized rod-like structures within the original wood

The teeth are all present and in great condition which would suggest that this animal was not very old when it died

Sometimes distinguished from manillas mainly by their wearability are a large number of regional types called 'Bracelet' monies and 'Legband' monies

" This is a genuine early example of these and not a more modern reproduction

the practice of carving emu eggs

Antique Australian aboriginal carved emu egg no. 3 The spotted look of palmwoodThis specimen probably dates from mid to late 19th Century. This is known as "Kalti Paarti", the practice of carving emu eggs. This art form has been continued to the present day. These early example usually have quite nave carvings compared to the later tourist items. With this example if you look closely you can see where the shell has been scraped away with a blade of some description and smoother areas where the pattern was smoothed, often using