THE END OF THE ITEM HAS THE DARK BANDS I ASSOCIATE WITH A DECORATIVE FIBER WRAP THAT IS NOW MISSING THRU NATURAL DRYING AND DETERIOATION AND BECOMING BRITTLEOVER TIME. THE FIBER WRAP IS SOMETIMES DECORATIVE AND SOMETIMES PLAIN AND SERVES THE FUNCTION OF PROVIDING A GOOD GRIP IN MOST CASES. THIS IS COMMON THRU OUT OCEANIC SOCIETYS SO DOSEN'T HELP PIN IT DOWN MUCH. THE LOOK OF THE WOOD AND THE EVIDENCE OF A WRAP DOES CAUSE ME TO SUSPECT IT IS NOT AFRICAN OR AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL BUT THATS ABOUT ALL I CAN DEDUCE FROM IT.
THE SHAPE IS NOT SOMETHING I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN OR SOMETHING I HAVE NOTICED IN MY REFRENCES. I WOULD HAZZARD A GUESS BASED ON A GUT FEELING THAT IT NOT A CLUB BUT A CHIEFS STAFF OR A SPEAKERS STAFF. BOTH WERE USED THRU OUT POLYNESIAN SOCIETYS AND WERE OFTEN PLAIN WITH NO TIKI DECORATIONS OR SYMBOLIC MARKINGS. THEY WOULD BE MORE RARE THAN WAR CLUBS AS ONLY ONE WOULD BE MADE FOR THE VILLAGE OR IN SOME CASES SEVERAL VILLAGES. THE STAFFS WITH SYMBOLS OR MARKINGS USUALLY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH CEREMONIES AND RITUALS AND SHAMAN OR WITCHDOCTORS. THE CHIEFS STAFF WAS A SYMBOL OF THE CHIEFS POWER AND WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE A WEAPON OR BE USED IN CEREMONIES. THE SPEAKERS STAFF WAS OFTEN PLAIN AND USED AT TRIBAL MEETINGS WHERE IMPORTANT THINGS WERE BEING DISCUSSED AND RESOLVED, WHOEVER HELD THE STAFF HAD THE FLOOR AND WAS LISTENED TO BY ALL AT THESE GATHERINGS.
PERHAPS YOU CAN FIND SOMETHING SIMULAR TO YOUR ITEM LOOKING IN REFRENCES UNDER THESE TWO CATAGORYS. NICE STICK WHATEVER IT IS
GOOD LUCK