MS on hard silcrete, High Glen Lyon, Western New South Wales, Australia, ca. 20000-3000 BC, 1 oval-conical cylcon, 32x8x5 cm, incised with longitudinal lines and 4 series of 7+6+9+12 short parallel transverse lines, concave base.

Provenance: 1. Found High Glen Lyon, New South Wales, Australia (ca. 1958); 2. Shearing Contractor Peter Manoel, New South Wales, Australia (1958-1973); 3. H. Gallasch Museum, Australia (1973-); 4. Sam Fogg Rare Books Ltd., London.

Commentary: Cylcons are earlier than churingas. There is no certain ways to date individual cylcons. The oldest cylcon/message stone found in a dateable archaeological context is about 20,000 years old. The simple line motifs of the oldest cylcons represent the earliest art of the Aborigines, from a very early period of occupation. In Australian nomenclature this is the colonizing period, or early Stone Age, ca. 50,000/40,000-3,000 BC. With the earliest rock-carvings and -paintings, the cylcons represent the oldest form of communication and art; and they represent the oldest religion still observed. Only 2 Aborigines have been able to communicate their name of the cylcons: Yurda, and Wommagnaragnara (Heart of the snake), respectively.

Exhibited: The Norwegian Intitute of Palaeography and Historical Philology (PHI), Oslo, 13.10.2003-

MS on chalk-like stone, New South Wales, Australia, ca. 20000-3000 BC, 1 oval-conical cylcon concave base, 12,2xdiam.4,2 cm, 3 central arrows pointing forwards, parallel lines in 5 longitudinal series of 7-8 lines each, 4 circumferential rings round apex, 17 short longitudinal incisions around base.

Provenance: 1. Found in New South Wales, Australia; 2. H. Gallasch Museum, Australia (1973-); 3. Sam Fogg Rare Books Ltd., London.

Commentary: This unusual miniature cylcon is a good example of linear art. Cylcons are earlier than churingas. There is no certain ways to date individual cylcons. The oldest cylcon/message stone found in a dateable archaeological context is about 20,000 years old. The simple line motifs of the oldest cylcons represent the earliest art of the Aborigines, from a very early period of occupation. In Australian nomenclature this is the colonizing period, or early Stone Age, ca. 50,000/40,000-3,000 BC. With the earliest rock-carvings and -paintings, the cylcons represent the oldest form of communication and art; and they represent the oldest religion still observed. Only 2 Aborigines have been able to communicate their name of the cylcons: Yurda, and Wommagnaragnara (Heart of the snake), respectively. Other uses as tallies are possible, such as counting of dead people, warriors, emus, measures of nardo seeds, or mapping purposes counting day-marches in various directions. Later the use could also change to other magic rituals, some involving the chipping off smaller flakes, and the practical use for pounding and crushing. Much more research is needed before the cylcons' real age and significance can be properly understood and appreciated. The term cylcon is derived from the title of R. Ethridge's publication: The Cylindro-conical and Stone Implements of Western New South Wales and their significance. Ethnological Series No. 2, Memoirs of the Geological Survey of New South Wales, 1916:1-41.

MS in Aborigine tribal language on grey stone, Northern Territories, Australia, very early, before 1800, 1 boatshaped churinga, 37x12x1 cm, patterns incised with a incisor tooth of an opossum, and rubbed with grease and red ochre during the ceremonies, the ochre still sticks in the groves.

Provenance: 1. Presented to Ursula Padman, Leprosy control officer and honorary Tribal Elder 1930's-1940's; 2. Sam Fogg Rare Books Ltd., London.

Commentary: There is no certain way to date the old churingas that are from the pre-contact period (before 1780). They can be as old as the Aboriginal culture, 40-50,000 years. With the earliest rockpaintings and carvings, the cylcons and churingas represent the oldest form of communication and art, still present, and they represent the oldest religion still observed. The aborigine owner's belief is that his kuruna or spirit is intimately associated with his churinga. Even today the whole of Australia is dotted over with Knanikillas, or local totem centres. Each of these has a sacred storehouse for the tribe's and individuals' churingas, guarded by the inkata. Women and men that had not passed through the ceremonies of circumcision and subincision, were not allowed to approach the storehouse, Pertalchera. The aborigine people of the Central desert read the patterns on the churinga as representations of nature, a kind of map or site. The icons are not literally figurative. Rather they can be interpreted as a whole range of natural phenomena that are stereotyped in their typical form, so they become an artistic system. Each churinga had its own personal "name", which had to be sung whenever it was being inspected or handled. The name was one of the verses from the sacred song cycle related to the actual totem centre.

Context: Papatjokurpa had 5 churingas, 1 larger than the present, and 3 small ones, all with nearly identical symbols. The other 4 are now in a private collection in Sydney.

Provenance: 1. Kristian Pareroultja of Luritja tribe (-1949); 2. Rex E. Battarbee, Ntarea (1949-); 3. Sam Fogg Rare Books Ltd., London.

Commentary: Rex Battarbee (1893-1973), watercolorist and teacher of the Arunta School of Aboriginal painting, is a major figure in the history of Central Australia, being deeply involved in Australian Aboriginal artistic culture and tradition. His autograph notes follow this churinga, recording the details of the song this churinga is associated with, and a drawing of it with the interpretation of its symbols. There is no certain way to date the old churingas that are from the pre-contact period (before 1780). They can be as old as the Aboriginal culture, 40-50,000 years. With the earliest rockpaintings and carvings, the cylcons and churingas represent the oldest form of communication and art, still present, and they represent the oldest religion still observed. The aborigine owner's belief is that his kuruna or spirit is intimately associated with his churinga. Even today the whole of Australia is dotted over with Knanikillas, or local totem centres. Each of these has a sacred storehouse for the tribe's and individuals' churingas, guarded by the inkata. Women, and men that had not passed through the ceremonies of circumcision and subincision, were not allowed to approach the storehouse, Pertalchera.

The aborigine people of the Central desert read the patterns on the churinga as representations of nature, a kind of map or site. The icons are not literally figurative. Rather they can be interpreted as a whole range of natural phenomena that are stereotyped in their typical form, so they become an artistic system. Each churinga had its own personal "name", which had to be sung whenever it was being inspected or handled. The name was one of the verses from the sacred song cycle related to the actual totem centre.

Binding: U.S.A., ca. 1900, cover missing, sewn on 6 cords.

Provenance: 1. Shaman family and heirs, Navajo reservation, Arizona; 2. Bruce Ferrini, Akron, Ohio.

Commentary: This MS represents the very rarest type of North American Indian pictographic writing, since shamanistic rituals were not meant to have been recorded or revealed. 3 sand paintings are drawn, one with 4 pictographic wideboards, which are written invitations to the deities for their presence at the chant ceremony. The sandpainting is completed in one day and is destroyed after the ceremony. This is one of the few cases where the Medicine man (Shaman or Chanter) has recorded the sandpaintings himself. They are otherwise known through later tapestries and whites' recordings. Uniquely, this MS also records the procession route along 2 series of sandpaintings and other objects.

Provenance: 1. Hannah Kigusiuq, Baker Lake, Nunavut Territory, Canada (1978); 2. Sanavik Cooperative, Baker Lake, Nunavut Territory, Canada; 3. Gallerie aux Multiples collections, Québec.

Commentary: In 1876 Edmund James Peck adapted a system of syllabic writing, that earlier had been invented by James Evans for the Cree Indians, into Inuktitut language. The syllabary has 15 basic signs for the vocals i, u, a, the consonants and 2 diphthongs. Those are turned 90 or 180 degrees to represent the various syllables, in all 45 different sign positions. Hannah Kigusiuq (also spelt: Keegoaseat, Keegooseot, Keyousikuk), born 1931, Best known for her carefully controlled graphic pencil line drawings like the present one, in which she situates large numbers of people and animals in complex relationships with one another, frequently adding inuktitut syllabic notations to clarify her intent , or to present conversations among individuals. (Marion E. Jackson: North American women Artists of the 20th century. A biographical dictionary, 1955.) From 1970 to 1996 she participated in 44 exhibitions. She is represented in 18 public art galleries, museums and university collections.

Context:Copied after a runic drum from Foldalen at Høylandet, Namdalen, Norway, which was confiscated in 1837, now at Städtischer Henneberger Museum, Meinigen, Germany; No. 30 in Ernst Manker: Die Lappische Zaubertrommel II, Uppsala 1950, Acta Lapponica VI.

Provenance: 1. Berit Marie Kemi, Karasjok, Norway.

Commentary: The drum is called runebomme or runpampa or gåbdie; the hammer is called ballem or vietjere. The old Sami religion was based on animism and shamanism. The forces of nature were personified by the wind man (Biegg-olmai), the god of thunder (Horag alles) and other gods of nature. The Sami shaman (Noaidi) drummed the runic drum and sang (joiked) to get in ecstasy in order to travel to the Netherworlds to pick up lost souls, or to Heavens, or to look into the future by listening to the speaking sound of the drum. The drum has also a practical use for hunting, herding reindeers or as a compass. When the Christian faith was taking over, the use of the runic drum was forbidden, and most drums burnt. Only ca. 50 old drums have survived today. Churches and crossed were frequently added symbols in this period of transition from one religion to a new one, but also in the vain hope to prevent confiscation of the runic drums.