UNIDENTIFIED CLUB, UNUSUAL DECORATION
 

HERE IS A UNUSUAL FORM OF CLUB RESEMBLING HOOKED CLUBS FOUND IN THE SOLOMONS AND RARELY IN FIJI. THE CLUB IS 24 INCHES LONG. THE CARVED DESIGN DOSEN'T LOOK LIKE THE CARVING ON EITHER REGION SO I ASK FOR INFORMATION OR OPINIONS. THANKS IN ADVANCE. :)

It's not Filipino/Moro, but some of the designs do remind me of Moro okir/ukkil. I like it. :D

More modern tourist piece from the Solomon's? That's just a guess.

F

Fearn, is it the style of the carving, the motif of carving, the depth of carving, or the shape as a whole?

The shape, primarily. Otherwise, the decorations could be from Philippines. I was just thinking that perhaps some craftsman decided to put a different set of decorations to sell to tourists.

As I said, it's a guess. I don't know PI weapons well enough to know whether it could be a club from there.

F

I have an idea that I have seen things rather like this {plain not decorated} as Coconut splitting mauls from South India, Kerala, Tamil Nadu. I do not have any information to back this idea up and could be wrong. It would most certainly make an effective human hurting tool if you wanted. The decoration looks Indian. Perhaps our Indian members could help.

Hi VANDOO

Interesting and unusual club of a type that I havn't seen before. Are those iron bands ? If so, I had a club with such banding some time ago that was from the Palestine/Levant area (posted on this forum).The carved decoration also reminds me of arabesque ornamentation.

Regards.

I BID ON THIS CLUB OVER 10 YEARS AGO ON EBAY BUT LOST SO ALL I HAVE IS THE PICTURES. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING SIMULAR OR ANY INFORMATION IN THAT TIME. I HAVE SEEN SOME TOOLS FOR SPLITTING COCONUTS, BREADFRUIT, ECT. BUT THIS WOULD BE THE LONGEST THINEST AND MOST ORNATE OF THEM ALL IF THAT IS WHAT IT IS BUT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. :shrug:
THE ITEM APPEARS TO HAVE A GOOD PATINA AND SOME WEAR, IT DOES APPEAR TO HAVE A METAL BAND NEAR THE GRIP AND A HOLE FOR A LANYARD OR CORD FOR HANGING.
THE DESIGN ESPECIALLY THE FLOWER DOES REMIND ME OF PHILIPPINE DESIGN AS WELL AS INDIA AND ISLAMIC DESIGN. I DON'T HAVE ANY REFERENCE ON PHILIPPINE CLUBS JUST ARNIS STICKS BUT AM SURE IN THE PAST CLUBS WERE USED.