Description:

Oceania, Polynesia, probably Tonga, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. A long, heavy, dark wood club, also known as an akau, with a long, gently broadening handle and a striking end with a deeply ridged surface that resembles a folded-up umbrella. This ends in a sharp, conical point. Tongan clubs, like many other Polynesian war clubs, struck the European imagination deeply, with the first knowledge of these objects outside of Polynesia coming from Captain Cook's voyages. George Forster, who accompanied Cook on his second expedition, wrote in his 1773 "A Voyage Round the World," "the clubs of the people of this isle, were of an infinite variety of shapes, and many of them so ponderous that we could scarce manage them with one hand... the whole surface of the plain clubs was as highly polished, as if our best workmen had made them with the best instruments." Size: 2.1" W x 40.75" H (5.3 cm x 103.5 cm); 43.25" H (109.9 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

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#133463

  • Condition: Rich, dark patina from age and handling. Small chips and nicks commensurate with age, with some small losses near the bottom of the handle.

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May 24, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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