Humpback Whale - ear drums (ornamental)

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1954

Overview

a pair of humpback whale eardrums that have been handpainted into caricature faces.

Historical information

These eardrums from a humpback whale, were found at Point Cloates by the crew of MV "Vigilant" in 1954. They are unusual in that they are a matching pair - usually the concussion of the exploding harpoon grenade will shatter at least one of them.

Point Cloates, formerly known as Cloate's Island, is a peninsula approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) south-southwest of North West Cape, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

"MV" means motor vessel.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-124-2026.062

Item type

Souvenirs

Themes

Art and Design

Material

Bone

Inscriptions and markings

No Markings

Contextual information

This pair of inner eardrums was cleaned and painted by a leading flenser, Peter Gardener, and purchased by Patrick Spaull who was a crew member on the "Vigilant" for $6-00.

A Humpback Whale is a large marine mammal and possesses a complex brain and well-developed sensory organs, though many are internalized to reduce drag. They lack external ears, relying instead on an internal system of air sinuses and bones to detect sounds underwater. A grapefruit-sized sensory organ located at the tip of their chin is thought to help coordinate the complex lunge-feeding mechanism by sensing prey density.

Keywords

Humpback Whale

Place made

Western Australia, Australia

Year

1954

Primary significance criteria

Artistic or aesthetic significance

Social or spiritual significance

Last modified

Friday, 13 February, 2026

Completeness