Some of my favorite Eastern Highland arrows, all from the Kainantu region. The first six comprise a beautiful set of arrows from the McWilliam Collection, obviously from the hand of the same artist. They are of nearly the same length and weight, yet each blackpalm head is of a different design. The carving of the barbs is wonderfully crisp, and each is painted in red ochre. The designs may not be as spectacular as those of many Eastern Highlands arrows but they have a beauty of their own. They might have been made as a set for shooting at an enemy fight leader (a key target) in a set-piece battle, as they are light enough for accurate shooting at a respectable range of forty to fifty meters, unlike the heavier, more elaborately barbed arrows, which are intended for close-range shooting.

The first measurement references the total length of the arrow, the second describes the head length from the end of the shaft. Objects are described from left to right. 1., 2. and 3. are flat on the facing side and rounded on the back. Arrow 1 has twenty-eight small barbs, 2 has twleve and 3 has twenty-four.  4. and 5. are rectangular in cross section, and 6. is square. 4 has forty-four barbs, 5 has sixty and 6 has thirty-two. (Overall length 116 to 117.5, head length 33 to 34 cm).  7. is from the Kainantu area, and its blackpalm head carries twelve long trailing barbs. The cross section is of a triangle rounded on the back. (125/47 cm).  8. is a light Gadsup arrow with a blackpalm head of triangular cross section. It has twenty-four small-tooth barbs. (114.5/31 cm).  9. is a Tairora arrow of square cross section on the barbed section and round at the long hilt. It has forty small barbs. The head is of blackpalm. (126.5/41 cm).  10. is a taanasa, one of the beautifully designed arrows of the Auyana language group. The head is of blackpalm of triangular section and has twenty-one barbs. It has chevron designs painted in red ochre on the hilt and at the tip before the barbs begin. A strip of orchard fiber runs down each side from the orchid fiber wrapping near the tip. The plaited collar at the junction of the shaft and head is, like those on 8 and 9, of black and yellow orchid fiber. (123/36.5 cm).

© D. Skinner Collection.