Nigerian, Cameroon stick club
 

Just picked this intersesting item. 34inches long will post better pictures. Something you do not see every day. I will clean the brass. These are the ebay pictures.

Very nice Tim,
not so certain about the Zulu 'tag' the seller put on it. Excellent price too ;)

Regards David

Tim, I don't think this 'stick' has an African origin. As far as I can judge from your pictures, you have a 'MAKILA' that is a Basque walking stick. The Basque people live in part of Spain (near the French border). They never left (or leave) home without it. It can be used as a weapon.

Do you already have it at home ? As soon as you get it, you should try to 'unscrew' the top end (with the leather). This will reveal a spike. The other end of the stick is weighted and can be used as a club.

Typical of a 'Makila' is also the decorated wooden shaft. A design is carved into the wood when it is still on the tree. You could say the wood is 'scarred'.

The only thing that seems to be missing from your piece is the horn finial.

Here are some pics of my Basque walking stick (length : 90 cm, approx. 36 inches).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...eelding029.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...eelding030.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...eelding031.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...eelding032.jpg

Looks like you are right Freddy. Lucky it was cheap, another piece to go into the loft or in other words the black museum :shrug: Thanks Freddy :cool:

You could always put it on ebay. These sticks are sought after in France and Spain. They usually fetch good prices. ;)

Ethongraphic weapon
 

It is here and I have given it a lick over. I think it is quite old and has some appeal to me. Engraved around the thick part with the iron point are the words "AINCIART+ A + LARRESSORE" something about age/status? and weariness? I might keep it. I could turn up a pommel in some seasoned cherry wood that I have.

Maybe somebody has a piece of cow horn they could send to me :D ?

This is an ethnographic weapon by our criteria. I am not a collector of European items but all collections have some oddities.

Sending things over 60cm long outside the UK is expensive unless the item is worth a lot so it may have to stay in the UK.

Freddy can you give dimensions of the pommel.

Well what an Idiot :o I have just found that this was made by the famous "Ainciart" family of "Larressore" and looking at this site the pommels can be varried.

http://www.makhila.com/pub-anglais/famille/index.htm

Your piece is far nicer than mine, Tim.

Here are the requested dimensions of the knob :

diameter : 3,7 cm

heigth : 2,1 cm

The lower part of my piece is also engraved with a text, namely :

ETSAIEN BELDURRANAIZ

I have no idea what this means.

ETSAIEN BELDURRANAIZ is Basque. Sorry that fact was already established :o

Lew

I knew that, Lew ;)

I tried to find a translation on the internet, but wasn't very successful. Are there any Basque forum members ?

H Freddy
Try and look in the Web for a dictionary in Euskera, which is Basque in their language.
It could be ( could be) that the text in your piece means "ENEMY FRIGHTENER", as ETSAI means enemy and BELDURRARAZI means to frighten.
Fernando

Freddy. I am so glad you like it as I do. Thank you for the dimensions. I am sourcing some cow or sheep's horn to restore the pommel. Mushroom form as yours or like the old ones in the "Ainciart" web site all depending on what I recieve. I think it is worth the bother and with a sprinkle of magic it will be hard to tell it was not an old replacement. I think this comparison is worth serious thought.

Cow horn. Size and shape dictated by the quality of the horn. Waiting for the PVA to dry.

This thread is really fascinating and informative! Thank you Freddy for identifying this as a Basque walking stick. If ever there was a distinct ethnographic group it would be the Basques, who if I am not mistaken, maintain thier unique language and culture still.
I think it is a beautiful item Tim, and it seems esoteric enough that it would have some potential as far as value.