Mammoth Shaped Spear Thrower, 16,000 to 13,500 Years Old, 'Ice Age Art Now' Exhibition, Cliffe Castle, Keighley, Yorkshire
The value of a good spear thrower shows in this fragment which was repaired to keep it functioning. The mammoth's tail, later restored with a bone insert, originally curled over to form the hook. When the handle broke it could not be mended again.
The mammoth is sculpted for effect rather than realism. The holes that look like eyes are too large and incorrectly positioned. They once contained inserts creating an awesome appearance. The small ears are right, and the tusks are on the sides of the broken shaft. The legs pirouette unnaturally but the broad, snowshoe feet are realistic.
Montastruc rockshelter, Midi-Pyrénées, France tish Museum, Palart.551
