- 2 Frassetto Way - Lincoln Park, NJ 07035
The Peter Benchley Collection: Jaws, A Life of Writing, A Legacy of Stories
Lot 49:
Description
A collection of traditional Papua New Guinea archery equipment and ethnographic items. The group includes two bows. The larger bow is carved from dark wood with geometric zigzag patterns at both tips and retains a flat split-bamboo or cane string. The smaller bow features a decorative woven split-cane or grass casing covering the entire length of the limbs. Several arrows are present, constructed with pithy cane or bamboo shafts. These include examples with long, hand-carved wooden barbed tips and composite multi-pronged fish or bird points secured with fiber bindings. Also included is a wooden staff or walking stick topped with a spherical metal pommel and a metal ferrule at the base. The pommel features an embossed crest of a tiger above a scroll. A blackened and relief-decorated scroll bears the legible text WEST YORKS REGT. The larger bow measures approximately 29 1/2" x 4" x 1".
From the personal collection of Peter Benchley (American, 1940–2006), acclaimed author of Jaws, accomplished diver, and prominent advocate for ocean and shark conservation.
Condition report:
The collection shows wear consistent with ethnographic use and age. The larger bow has minor surface scratches and wood splits at the tips. The woven casing on the smaller bow shows light fraying and a small area of loss at one end. Arrows exhibit typical wear to the cane shafts; one multi-pronged tip has a broken barb and frayed fiber bindings. The metal pommel on the staff shows significant surface oxidation and pitting throughout the embossed crest, with some loss to the blackened finish on the scroll.
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