Whip ? for discussion.
 

Hi Guys,
This whip type item was sourced from the same person I had the Mandingo/Arab sword from a number of years ago. Could this have anything to do with slave trade as well or am I jumping to conclusions. It consists of a flexible steel core about 4mm in diameter surrounded by bone type segments. I think that some type of covering would have covered the bone segments. It has good age patina and feels well balanced in the hand. The overall length is 73cm.

Thanks in advance

Darren

Anecdotally these were popular with sea captains and mariners in the 19thC.
The shaft of the stick is made from the spinal column of a shark or similar large boney fish.
So they are cartilage vertebrae. They wouldn't have been covered, they would always have been exposed as they are now.
They seem to show a good amount of patina.
What is the head made from?
P.S. it's a walking cane.

Hi Atlantia,
The head seems to be made from a type of heavy hardwood. So you think its a walking cane. Dam fooled again.

Thanks
Darren

I think the bone segments are from tuna burbles but I may be wrong.

Hi Atlantia,
Do you mean swagger stick?
Thanks
Darren

That depends on how tall they were! :D

Spiral

Hi Darren,

Is the length across the curve or around it?
In either event it's still within the length range for a cane and rather long for a swagger stick.

Hi Atlantia,
Yes the length is across the curve.
Thanks
Darren

Googling "shark vertebrae" and "tuna vertebrae" and looking at the images, I think the original attribution was correct, these are shark vertebrae.

F

It's probable that the curve is the result of use rather than design, so it would have been a few cm longer originally.