Unusual club for identification, south African maybe?

Kmaddock · 27th December 2020, 08:28 PM

HI All and happy Christmas to you everyone.

I got this club as part of a deal and have no idea on it?

It is timber shafted 59 cm long with a 20 mm diameter shaft

head is 11 cm long and approx. 60 mm in diameter

Wrapped in leather all over and bound with strips of leather, there is a ribbing effect on two parts of the shaft where the leather seems to be formed over some thing underneath.

Leather is rock solid so club has good age to it and is very solid.

The seam of the leather is stitched and has traces of fur on the head of the club.

It has a iron band on the bottom and also seems to have iron bands on the top which are covered in leather and this gives it a good swinging weight that would do a lot of damage. I am unable to inspect under the leather at the top.

So any idea on origin it came with a Zulu knobkerrie and a root ball club but I think they are unrelated just part of an auction job lot.

I have a Shona spear with similar iron wrapping on the base of the spear so might this be southern African?

Regards to all,

Ken

Tim Simmons · 28th December 2020, 06:23 PM

This appears to me to be West African. The leather work being very much the type from the western sea board, which would include many cultures but one stands out in our collecting world familiar with this leather work is Manding.

Kmaddock · 29th December 2020, 08:17 PM

Thanks Tim for the pointer
I have had a good search around but cant find anything similar
Regards
Ken

27th December 2020, 08:28 PM	#1
Kmaddock Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Ireland Posts: 543	Unusual club for identification, south African maybe? HI All and happy Christmas to you everyone. I got this club as part of a deal and have no idea on it? It is timber shafted 59 cm long with a 20 mm diameter shaft head is 11 cm long and approx. 60 mm in diameter Wrapped in leather all over and bound with strips of leather, there is a ribbing effect on two parts of the shaft where the leather seems to be formed over some thing underneath. Leather is rock solid so club has good age to it and is very solid. The seam of the leather is stitched and has traces of fur on the head of the club. It has a iron band on the bottom and also seems to have iron bands on the top which are covered in leather and this gives it a good swinging weight that would do a lot of damage. I am unable to inspect under the leather at the top. So any idea on origin it came with a Zulu knobkerrie and a root ball club but I think they are unrelated just part of an auction job lot. I have a Shona spear with similar iron wrapping on the base of the spear so might this be southern African? Regards to all, Ken Attached Images

28th December 2020, 06:23 PM	#2
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,807	This appears to me to be West African. The leather work being very much the type from the western sea board, which would include many cultures but one stands out in our collecting world familiar with this leather work is Manding.

29th December 2020, 08:17 PM	#3
Kmaddock Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Ireland Posts: 543	Thanks Tim for the pointer I have had a good search around but cant find anything similar Regards Ken