27th August 2023, 09:29 AM | #1 |
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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 |
27th August 2023, 10:33 AM | #2 | |
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Quote:
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27th August 2023, 01:29 PM | #3 |
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I have a feeling it is an African paddle.
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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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27th August 2023, 03:41 PM | #5 |
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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 |
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 |
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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28th August 2023, 06:32 AM | #8 |
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I also think the tip may have been altered to look like a spear.
https://www-ft-com.ezp.lib.cam.ac.uk...c-0b7776d8a026 |
28th August 2023, 04:49 PM | #9 |
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Yes maybe a broken-reshaped ceremonial paddle,
Here a Dayak-kalimantan borneo model from Mandarin Mansion, As Milandro suggested, thank you ! The ''Basics'' carvings look like. |
28th August 2023, 04:50 PM | #10 |
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Here the pictures
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28th August 2023, 06:20 PM | #11 |
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I would also say definitely not Maasai. Neither form nor ornament suit Maasai.
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28th August 2023, 08:01 PM | #12 |
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28th August 2023, 09:00 PM | #13 |
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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 |
29th August 2023, 02:48 AM | #14 |
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Could it be like this spear, only missing the metal tip?
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29th August 2023, 07:09 AM | #15 |
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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 |
29th August 2023, 08:17 AM | #16 |
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If one pursues the African road then it may be possible that this is a (or part of it) ceremonial scepter or staff
Compare to this from the Brooklyn Museum |
29th August 2023, 04:29 PM | #17 |
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Could we get a better picture of the point? The patination looks different(lighter), and the carved lines don't look symmetrical, so I'm wondering if the tip broke off and it was reshaped ?
Last edited by drac2k; 29th August 2023 at 04:30 PM. Reason: spelling |
30th August 2023, 01:52 PM | #18 |
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OK sure,
I will prepare it 👍 |
31st August 2023, 04:34 PM | #19 |
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Here the tip
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31st August 2023, 04:39 PM | #20 |
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Red-brown patina under black paint -laquer ?
Especially the shaft. |
31st August 2023, 04:45 PM | #21 |
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Hard wood but not thick enough at the large part I think to be a real club / war paddle...
Ceremonial staff or something, but where from ??? wood seems exotic- islands or something... |
31st August 2023, 05:30 PM | #22 |
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Forum moderator please !!
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31st August 2023, 06:45 PM | #23 |
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Hello,
My pictures please ! |
31st August 2023, 07:20 PM | #24 |
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Last one
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31st August 2023, 08:26 PM | #25 |
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Sorry, it was this one
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1st September 2023, 12:31 PM | #26 |
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''head'' of the spear/staff looks like a stylised bird head.
Something like a jabiru stork or a vulture |
1st September 2023, 02:50 PM | #27 |
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Great pictures. To me it reinforces my opinion that it was some type of ceremonial spear, especially at the base of the carved blade that looks like a socket entering the shaft. The tip does look reshaped in my opinion, but it appears that it was done a long time ago.
Still a wonderful piece, whatever it is! |
1st September 2023, 05:43 PM | #28 |
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Interesting ( really strange ) ritual staff or paddle,
Seems old- can be 19th century, The shaft with the black laquer-paint on a red color reminds me japanese or chinese multi laquered wooden stuff ( Okinawa ceremonial spear-club ... ) The ''bird head'' as you say seems made of palmwood and looks indonesian/Borneo or, Sepik/Papua New Guinea (Just a feeling.) Multicultural mix...?..?. |
2nd September 2023, 11:09 PM | #29 |
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Thank you for the messages !
For the black laquer shaft, don't know if it is Laquer for aesteticism or some old stuff for protect the wood ( against termites/ xylophages/ humidity ...)? |
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