Yankuna Club

[Tim Simmons]

Another sortie into the the world of ebay and collecting. I am now waiting for this lovely and complete Yakuna club from Venezuela and borders. Up until the 1960s the Yakuna were relatively isolated. What I like most, even if not the oldest club from the areas where variations of this form originate, the north east coastal and forest regions of the South American continent the Guianas. It is complete and a substantial example. Made of a heavy timber Ipe, 62.5cm long the head being 18.5cm and a thickness of 3.2cm. Many of the darker wood clubs have a hole in the top for the feathers and just because a timber or artefact is dark in colour and polished does not necessarily mean it is 19th century and antique, without the feathers is not complete like a sword with out the scabbard. Now there may be some discussion as to whether the example I am waiting for is a weapon or a status or ritual club. I can make comparisons with online museum, data bases, on the dimensions. I would not suggest that feather decoration means ritual. Feather additions can be removed if and when the need arises.

[Tim Simmons]

Here is the other version often found from British Guyana. This example is from the Horniman collection London UK. It is a different timber and has recorded origin, but I would not say all dark wood pieces are old . I would like to point out the dimensions, as the dark wood has can have an unqualified appeal, like the darkening of African masks for early 20thcentury collectors. This example is 63.5cm long and 10.5cm at the head and 2.8cm thick which makes it somewhat lighter the the example I am waiting for.

[Tim Simmons]

Sorry about the spelling of the thread title Yekuana it should be.

[Tim Simmons]

interesting

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/v...the-makiritare

[colin henshaw]

Looks a good, genuine club. I like the little woven fibre band. Please post more images when you have the club to hand.

[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.