Help ID old clubs please?

Tim Simmons · 29th November 2011, 12:52 PM

I got these four clubs in a junk market. I think they may be some form of South/Cenral American Indian block club. Perhaps we have members in the Americas that can give better information. The larger three are quite substancial 800+g and around 52cm. Good age to them also. One is very nice, well two actually sadly the third larger one has a large crack in the side and head. The small one has a broken guard. Any help would be great thanks.

VANDOO · 29th November 2011, 04:37 PM

THEY APPEAR TO BE PESTELS AS IN MORTOR AND PESTEL. USED FOR CRUSHING HARD FOOD STUFFS IN MORE PRIMATIVE AREAS, STILL IN USE EVEN TODAY.
THEY COME IN MANY SIZES AND SHAPES FROM LOG LIKE FORMS TALLER THAN THE ONE USING THEM TO SMALL ONES FOR MEDICINE PREPARATION AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. PERHAPS AFRICAN BUT THAT IS JUST A GUESS YOU WILL NO DOUBT BE BETTER ABLE TO JUDGE BASED ON WOOD TYPE HAVING THEM IN HAND. A NICE COLLECTION OF THEM IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW THEIR SPECIFIC USE AS WELL AS TRIBAL AREA. GOOD LUCK

Tim Simmons · 29th November 2011, 05:47 PM

Pestles is always a possibility. We know that pestles can easily be seen as clubs. The last club thing we saw here was a washing agitator. Still they do look club like when seen with others.

Tim Simmons · 29th November 2011, 09:41 PM

Having had more time to examine these. I believe them to be African and most probably from the South Sudan and border regions. The one with the cracks in the head has certianly been used as a pounder as you can see bits still stuck in the head. The others have rather smooth head for pounder/pestle. There are signs that each end has been used. I think they might have been a bashing tool in general. A broad bashing head and a finer pointed end for delicate work on small nuts or seeds and the like. If you are nomadic or semi-nomadic then these could well be a sort of club form multi tool. The middle section does work very well as a guard or stop for the hand with the balance right at this point.

VANDOO · 30th November 2011, 03:56 AM

YES THESE WOULD SERVE AS A CLUB AND PERHAPS AS THE WOMEN WERE USUALLY THE ONES IN CHARGE OF THEM PERHAPS THEY WERE THE WOMANS WEAPON OF CHOICE. THE ROLLING PIN COMES TO MIND AS AN AMERICAN PIONEER WOMANS WEAPON ALONG WITH THE FRYING PAN.

I FOUND A SITE ( BROOKLYN MUSEUM , COLLECTIONS: ARTS OF AFRICA PESTLE.) THEY HAD QUITE A FEW LISTED BUT VERY FEW WITH PICTURES. PERHAPS YOU COULD CONTACT THEM AND SEND SOME PICTURES ALONG AND GET SOME INFORMATION. I WILL INCLUDE A FEW PICTURES. ONE IS OF A SHOP WITH MANY VARIATIONS FOR SALE. ANOTHER SHOWS 3 DIFFERENT SIZES ONE IN USE IN ETHIOPIA. TWO PICTURES OF IVORY ONES FROM CONGO ONE 16.5 IN. AND ONE 23 IN LONG. PICTURE OF A SMALL NEW ONE WITH A DIFFERENT STYLE OF HEAD. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW VARIATIONS IN HEADS AS WELL AS MORTOR CONFIGURATIONS AND SOMETIMES DIFFERENT ENDS ON THE SAME PESTLE FOR DIFFERENT USE OR DIFFERENT SHAPED MORTORS. I HAVE BEEN NOTICING MORE OBJECTS LISTED AS WAR CLUBS THAT ARE NOT ON EBAY LATELY FROM OCEANNA TO AFRICA TO THE AMERICAS.

29th November 2011, 12:52 PM	#1
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,782	Help ID old clubs please? I got these four clubs in a junk market. I think they may be some form of South/Cenral American Indian block club. Perhaps we have members in the Americas that can give better information. The larger three are quite substancial 800+g and around 52cm. Good age to them also. One is very nice, well two actually sadly the third larger one has a large crack in the side and head. The small one has a broken guard. Any help would be great thanks. Attached Images

29th November 2011, 05:47 PM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,782	Pestles is always a possibility. We know that pestles can easily be seen as clubs. The last club thing we saw here was a washing agitator. Still they do look club like when seen with others. Attached Images

30th November 2011, 03:56 AM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	YES THESE WOULD SERVE AS A CLUB AND PERHAPS AS THE WOMEN WERE USUALLY THE ONES IN CHARGE OF THEM PERHAPS THEY WERE THE WOMANS WEAPON OF CHOICE. THE ROLLING PIN COMES TO MIND AS AN AMERICAN PIONEER WOMANS WEAPON ALONG WITH THE FRYING PAN. I FOUND A SITE ( BROOKLYN MUSEUM , COLLECTIONS: ARTS OF AFRICA PESTLE.) THEY HAD QUITE A FEW LISTED BUT VERY FEW WITH PICTURES. PERHAPS YOU COULD CONTACT THEM AND SEND SOME PICTURES ALONG AND GET SOME INFORMATION. I WILL INCLUDE A FEW PICTURES. ONE IS OF A SHOP WITH MANY VARIATIONS FOR SALE. ANOTHER SHOWS 3 DIFFERENT SIZES ONE IN USE IN ETHIOPIA. TWO PICTURES OF IVORY ONES FROM CONGO ONE 16.5 IN. AND ONE 23 IN LONG. PICTURE OF A SMALL NEW ONE WITH A DIFFERENT STYLE OF HEAD. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW VARIATIONS IN HEADS AS WELL AS MORTOR CONFIGURATIONS AND SOMETIMES DIFFERENT ENDS ON THE SAME PESTLE FOR DIFFERENT USE OR DIFFERENT SHAPED MORTORS. I HAVE BEEN NOTICING MORE OBJECTS LISTED AS WAR CLUBS THAT ARE NOT ON EBAY LATELY FROM OCEANNA TO AFRICA TO THE AMERICAS. Attached Images

29th November 2011, 04:37 PM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THEY APPEAR TO BE PESTELS AS IN MORTOR AND PESTEL. USED FOR CRUSHING HARD FOOD STUFFS IN MORE PRIMATIVE AREAS, STILL IN USE EVEN TODAY. THEY COME IN MANY SIZES AND SHAPES FROM LOG LIKE FORMS TALLER THAN THE ONE USING THEM TO SMALL ONES FOR MEDICINE PREPARATION AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. PERHAPS AFRICAN BUT THAT IS JUST A GUESS YOU WILL NO DOUBT BE BETTER ABLE TO JUDGE BASED ON WOOD TYPE HAVING THEM IN HAND. A NICE COLLECTION OF THEM IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW THEIR SPECIFIC USE AS WELL AS TRIBAL AREA. GOOD LUCK

29th November 2011, 09:41 PM	#4
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,782	Having had more time to examine these. I believe them to be African and most probably from the South Sudan and border regions. The one with the cracks in the head has certianly been used as a pounder as you can see bits still stuck in the head. The others have rather smooth head for pounder/pestle. There are signs that each end has been used. I think they might have been a bashing tool in general. A broad bashing head and a finer pointed end for delicate work on small nuts or seeds and the like. If you are nomadic or semi-nomadic then these could well be a sort of club form multi tool. The middle section does work very well as a guard or stop for the hand with the balance right at this point.