emu caller (aboriginal art)

The emu caller is made from timber like, the Australian eucalypt (mallee) which has been naturally hollowed by white ants. The emu caller’s size and shape varies depending on the maker, they look something like a small didgeridoo, and they can be anywhere from 15cm to 55cm in length and from as little as 3cm up to 10cm in width. The emu caller produces a unique sound something similar to that of an emu the sound is created by cupping one hand and hitting it on the top of the emu caller.

Emu caller’s make great souvenirs as they are small, cost effective and look really good, however there is a lot of imitation Aboriginal artefacts available on the market which are not made from Australian timber, and there are also plenty of mass produced products such as emu callers and didgeridoos which have been drilled out and not naturally hollowed. Be sure you are buying from a reputable aboriginal arts dealer, and the work is authentic.

Consider this when looking at naturally hollowed products, they are made of Australian timber which is naturally hollowed, and you are buying from a reputable supplier.

Appreciate authenticity: The hollowing process takes one year per tree, a nest of white takes approximately one year to hollow a single tree suitable to make a didgeridoo.

Trees are trees! Therefore the shape, size and where branches form etc can make a lot of trees unsuitable for making didgeridoos and the other problem is the white ants like to eat right to the edge leaving massive holes through the tree. So with this in mind, trees in their natural state which are suitable for making didgeridoos are very hard to find then to produce something unique from these trees is beautiful and must be appreciated.