Yankuna Club

[Tim Simmons]

While researching the Yakuana and the club I am waiting for I found I already have a Yakuana piece. I have found some information from the British Museum collection that may throw light on the piece I have. The link contains the written information but I will add the photo. The information about the carving of a sitting shaman with elbows on knees and head in hands could explain the strange dual projections on my item. Could they be simplified shaman figures? I strongly suspect they are.

link https://www.britishmuseum.org/collec...E_Am1973-05-12

British Museum data photo and my Yakuana piece.

[Tim Simmons]

From more research on the Yakuana I found this information which I have copied and paste here;

The Ye´kuana conceive of the universe as being comprised of two parallel planes : caju (the sky) and nono (the earth). In nono, the lower plane of the universe, the supernatural was long ago neutral (or at least its manifestations were unknown to the inhabitants of the earth). Then the Sun father let three magical eggs fall down. The first two opened and from them came Wanadi, a mythical culture hero, and his brother. The third did not break open, but was smashed and deformed. Wanadi then threw it into the forest. With this second fall, the egg opened and Cajushawa, full of resentment and hatred, appeared on earth and turned into the negative manifestation of the supernatural. Since then the people of Cajushawa (the demons or odosha) have proliferated over the earth, dominating the invisible reign of the earth. In contrast, Wanadi, the benevolent expression of the supernatural, after having lived on the earth for a time during which he struggled against Cajushawa, left the earth in the hands of people, the Ye´kuana, and it is up to them to fight demons.

Full link here
https://pib.socioambiental.org/en/Povo:Ye'kwana

With that view of Yakuana cosmology I dare to hypothesize that the two prongs on the last piece I post here are representations of the two brothers, however the name of the other brother is not mentioned. If so then I would suggest that this is a Shamanic ritual weapon. Sometimes knowing why something is, is more interesting than what it appears to be.

[Tim Simmons]

Some more examples show the colour is not a true guide to an objects age.

https://americanindian.si.edu/collec...20America%2522

https://americanindian.si.edu/collec...2522South%2520

https://americanindian.si.edu/collec...2522South%2520

There are many more.

[Tim Simmons]

It arrived today and I am very pleased. Nice heavy piece with absolutely the right signs of use , wear and dare I say age. Some of the attachments the small bits are a little delicate, the painted decoration is very faded in places but otherwise 100% complete. Who knows when it was collected? I consider myself rather lucky as I have see variants with no proof of age going for silly amounts of money like $3000 Here are a few pics with daylight.