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Old 27th August 2023, 09:29 AM   #1
Marius66
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Default Massai/african wooden lance or oceanian ?

Good day dear members,

I have this long wooden lance,
coming from africa , massai/Kenya and really really old said the seller
But I saw this weekend in an ethnographic museum oceanian ''clubs'' and maybe it is polynesian/oceanian..

Can specialists help for fix it please.

Kind regards
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Old 27th August 2023, 10:33 AM   #2
mariusgmioc
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Marius66 View Post
Good day dear members,

I have this long wooden lance,
coming from africa , massai/Kenya and really really old said the seller
But I saw this weekend in an ethnographic museum oceanian ''clubs'' and maybe it is polynesian/oceanian..

Can specialists help for fix it please.

Kind regards
I do not know what this is but I am pretty sure that it isn't a Masai spear. Masai use various types of iron-tipped spears.
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Old 27th August 2023, 01:29 PM   #3
Tim Simmons
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I have a feeling it is an African paddle.
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Old 27th August 2023, 03:03 PM   #4
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Great piece whatever it is ;maybe a dance spear used it ritual ceremonies. I like the carving, the patination and everything else about it! What are the dimensions??
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Old 27th August 2023, 03:41 PM   #5
Marius66
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Hello , thank a lot everybody for the reply !
Looks a mix between a Solomon club
and a iron Congolese mariage-trade money ??

It is 65,8 inches/167 cm long

Ceremonial item more than an original paddle
I wonder if we could use it as a
war club ?

Kind regards
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Old 27th August 2023, 04:47 PM   #6
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I too doubt this is a spear, ritual or otherwise.

This looks like a canoe paddle. Where it was made is a very difficult to say, I have seen some similar design which were Brazilian but also from Kalimantan so the range of possibilities is very wide, but , in my view, absolutely not a spear
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Old 27th August 2023, 06:36 PM   #7
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Has the tip been reshaped? The only reason why I question the paddle theory is because of the narrowness of the majority of the portion that would be in the water; not viable for the maximum push of your paddle. Also, the length of the paddle seems excessive as well as the girth of the shaft; while I've seen paddles that long, usually the shafts are tapered and narrower, to cut down on the weight. The point at the end of the oar doesn't quite make sense to me either.
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Old 28th August 2023, 08:01 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mariusgmioc View Post
I do not know what this is but I am pretty sure that it isn't a Masai spear. Masai use various types of iron-tipped spears.
Yes, right. I don't want to hunt lions with this wood thing.....
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Old 28th August 2023, 09:00 PM   #9
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And back in Africa...

A ceremonial wooden spear from Congo ( democratic republic of Congo )
All wood made , tip only is made of metal
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Old 29th August 2023, 02:48 AM   #10
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Could it be like this spear, only missing the metal tip?
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Old 29th August 2023, 07:09 AM   #11
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Hello,
Thank you Drac2,
I don't think it was metal covered , seems too flat, not a '' real spike''.
But dimensions and global shape are the same
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