Description:

Oceania, Polynesia ca. 19th century CE. An impressively carved wooden war club that is not only beautiful but also quite intimidating. The upper section boasts 5 rows of pointed spikes with a ridged disc atop and a corseted section below that is incised with an attractive ray motif. The handle is finely incised with two registers of interlocking triangles that face opposite directions - including cross-hatched triangles alternating with triangles decorated with a simple arrow or arrowhead motif on a smooth ground. At the end is an integral loop through which leather tassels are tied. The craftsman who made this weapon would have been a highly-valued member of society, and the choices of design and ornamentation likely related to the body art in the culture. Size: 13" H (33 cm); leather tassels 9.25" L (23.5 cm)

During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, steel and bronze did not exist in the Pacific. So hardwood, stone, and whalebone were the primary materials used to create weapons, and one of the most coveted weapons was the club. They were greatly prized in meticulously decorated like this example.

Provenance: ex Sofe Auctions, ex Dallas, Texas, USA collection

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#160575

  • Condition: Normal surface wear with some chips/nicks to tips of spikes, edges of corseted section below, and other high-pointed areas. Minor tears/losses to leather tassels.

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November 12, 2020 10:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000