My new item has arrived and as I said, I add it here.
Before I do this a few more thoughts about the most elegant and beautiful lustrous club Dolly started the thread with. It could be that fine light weapons like this, could be more of a status, prestige rank item. Made for display. Very often the higher up the food chain a person is weapons often morph into non functioning versions. Rommel had a baton as did many of military big wigs.
All this brings me to my new item. I thought it might be a club as the sellers pictures were rather poor and they gave the impression that it was longer and heavier. However I am very pleased with what turned up. It is exquisite and probably the best thing I have in my collection. It is a prestige staff being far to light to use as a club. Also not at all comfortable in the hand as a walking stick. Held in the middle section is most comfortable with the very slight convex curve to the staff towards the body. When seen next to what are clearly club weapons, you can see that at 93cm long it is too light for fighting. The end shows no contact with the ground as with the clubs. One of the aspect I like most of all is the very artful gaps in the carving of the figures making the finial. One could see some symbolism here but I hesitate to take that any further. Also I find pleasure in the way the stylised frigate birds are so easily recognised. I will also add {as a reply} three pages from " Michael Hamson, Oceanic Art" In the text reference is made to a Harry Beran who after a net search I found is very big in the "Tribal Art" world. He refers to these as staff which I feel they must be showing no signs of ever being used as walking sticks. With a little bit of luck this thread might continue and bring more unusual Oceanic material to the surface.
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