Image: Aboriginal spinning top, Cape York, Queensland
This is an Aborigianl spinning top with a stick handle made from a rainforest hardwood The handle has been driven through the centre of a gourd and fixed there with beeswax and handspun bark fibre. The gourd is the fruit of the Benincasa hispida plant, a trailing vine commonly known as winter melon, wax gourd or white gourd. A hole has been drilled into the gourd, and there are remnants of red and white ochre decoration. The gourd is 6.96 cm in diameter and the total length of the spinning top is 21.5 cm. It was collected from Cairns in northern Queensland in 1900. E013804
- Photographer:
- Australian Museum Photography Unit
- Rights:
- © Australian Museum
Last Updated:
Tags Aboriginal, indigenous, spinning top, games, toys,