A New Guinea Club, Adze, and Tiwi Ceremonial Club

drac2k · 10th July 2016, 07:45 PM

Here are 2 more recent acquisitions; a New Guinea Papua Pineapple war club according to the tag and an adze from West Irian New Guinea also as per the tag.
The 3rd item I have had for years and wondered what it could be. I was investigating the New Guinea items,and I think I stumbled upon it's possible identity; a Tiwi ceremonial club.
Can somebody confirm if my assumption is correct ?

Tim Simmons · 10th July 2016, 08:49 PM

Nice little trio. I am not an expert but I would agree about the Tiwi stick club. It does not look to us as an effective weapon, however if I was to fight somebody naked with a weapon like that I would definatley feel vunerable. The adze is very interesting. From your pictures the cutting edge and general finish does not look great but not all tools have to be the very best to do the job. Certainly west Papua. The paint is an imported oil based paint. Even the transition in Europe between bronze and iron age, stone tools were still in use. Is the pineapple stone hard or soft? One thing I am missing in my collection. You can see a slight relation to Indonesian motifs in the carving on the adze handle.

drac2k · 10th July 2016, 09:33 PM

From what I could find , this type of Tiwi club was a ceremonial item, possibly used in mortuary ceremonies . The adze head has a pretty good cutting edge, but the rest of the surface is rough;it definitely had a working life; the haft is pretty nice, so now I'm wondering if the head was retired and combined with a newer handle, also for ceremonial purposes even though the entire piece is pretty heavy and large. It feels like it could be very effective. I agree about the oil based paint, but I'm not sure who applied it; was it native done, idiot done, or like a great many Civil War Swords, that I've found in Veteran's Halls, painted gold to "enhance," it's beauty.
In regards to the pineapple club ,I'm not sure about the hardness of the stone, but I would guess softer rather than harder.I don't think the club is terribly old, but I know it is at least it is 40 years old, based on the date it was added to the previous collection.

Tim Simmons · 10th July 2016, 09:52 PM

Just thought I would add that oil based paints are ancient and could have come from Asia before European colonialism but unlikely.

Sajen · 10th July 2016, 10:06 PM

The adze is definitive correct described, the ornamentation is typical for the Geelvinck Bay, similar ones are found in East Indoneasia like Tanimbar and used mainly for make a dugout conoe. I have a similar adze handle from Tanimbar which I sadly can't show since it is listed on ebay. The Geelvinck Bay area is strongly influenced by Indonesians. The paint is as well typical for this area.

Regards,
Detlef

drac2k · 11th July 2016, 01:25 AM

Thank you both for the information.

VANDOO · 11th July 2016, 09:04 PM

A very early, fine old forked ceremonial club, Tjapara Timirrikamara from the Tiwi Islands Bathurst & Melville Islands Northern Territory.

These were used in Pukamani ceremony and in Ritual battle.

This type of club is patterned after a weapon in Tiwi mythology. Purukapali & Tjapara fought over the body of Purukapali’s son Djinini. Tjapara threw his forked fighting club which severely wounded his opponent who only had a bulbed kutunga fighting club. Tjapara became the moon and the facial injuries he suffered may still be seen on a clear night. The forked club remains known as Tjapara’s fighting club

HERE IS SOME INFORMATION ON THIS TYPE OF CLUB. A NICE OLDER EXAMPLE.

drac2k · 12th July 2016, 12:46 AM

Thanks very much for the detailed information ;I had been wondering for years what it was.

stekemest · 12th July 2016, 11:43 AM

I am always surprised by the similarity between New Guinea maces and their counterparts in South America. The same basic shapes like four-, five- and six-spiked star heads (Andean cultures) or pineapple heads (Mexico) reoccur. Coincidence?

10th July 2016, 07:45 PM	#1
drac2k Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,230	A New Guinea Club, Adze, and Tiwi Ceremonial Club Here are 2 more recent acquisitions; a New Guinea Papua Pineapple war club according to the tag and an adze from West Irian New Guinea also as per the tag. The 3rd item I have had for years and wondered what it could be. I was investigating the New Guinea items,and I think I stumbled upon it's possible identity; a Tiwi ceremonial club. Can somebody confirm if my assumption is correct ? Attached Images

10th July 2016, 08:49 PM	#2
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,806	Nice little trio. I am not an expert but I would agree about the Tiwi stick club. It does not look to us as an effective weapon, however if I was to fight somebody naked with a weapon like that I would definatley feel vunerable. The adze is very interesting. From your pictures the cutting edge and general finish does not look great but not all tools have to be the very best to do the job. Certainly west Papua. The paint is an imported oil based paint. Even the transition in Europe between bronze and iron age, stone tools were still in use. Is the pineapple stone hard or soft? One thing I am missing in my collection. You can see a slight relation to Indonesian motifs in the carving on the adze handle.

10th July 2016, 09:33 PM	#3
drac2k Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,230	From what I could find , this type of Tiwi club was a ceremonial item, possibly used in mortuary ceremonies . The adze head has a pretty good cutting edge, but the rest of the surface is rough;it definitely had a working life; the haft is pretty nice, so now I'm wondering if the head was retired and combined with a newer handle, also for ceremonial purposes even though the entire piece is pretty heavy and large. It feels like it could be very effective. I agree about the oil based paint, but I'm not sure who applied it; was it native done, idiot done, or like a great many Civil War Swords, that I've found in Veteran's Halls, painted gold to "enhance," it's beauty. In regards to the pineapple club ,I'm not sure about the hardness of the stone, but I would guess softer rather than harder.I don't think the club is terribly old, but I know it is at least it is 40 years old, based on the date it was added to the previous collection.

10th July 2016, 09:52 PM	#4
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,806	Just thought I would add that oil based paints are ancient and could have come from Asia before European colonialism but unlikely.

10th July 2016, 10:06 PM	#5
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,769	The adze is definitive correct described, the ornamentation is typical for the Geelvinck Bay, similar ones are found in East Indoneasia like Tanimbar and used mainly for make a dugout conoe. I have a similar adze handle from Tanimbar which I sadly can't show since it is listed on ebay. The Geelvinck Bay area is strongly influenced by Indonesians. The paint is as well typical for this area. Regards, Detlef

11th July 2016, 01:25 AM	#6
drac2k Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,230	Thank you both for the information.

11th July 2016, 09:04 PM	#7
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A very early, fine old forked ceremonial club, Tjapara Timirrikamara from the Tiwi Islands Bathurst & Melville Islands Northern Territory. These were used in Pukamani ceremony and in Ritual battle. This type of club is patterned after a weapon in Tiwi mythology. Purukapali & Tjapara fought over the body of Purukapali’s son Djinini. Tjapara threw his forked fighting club which severely wounded his opponent who only had a bulbed kutunga fighting club. Tjapara became the moon and the facial injuries he suffered may still be seen on a clear night. The forked club remains known as Tjapara’s fighting club HERE IS SOME INFORMATION ON THIS TYPE OF CLUB. A NICE OLDER EXAMPLE.

12th July 2016, 12:46 AM	#8
drac2k Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,230	Thanks very much for the detailed information ;I had been wondering for years what it was.

12th July 2016, 11:43 AM	#9
stekemest Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Posts: 182	I am always surprised by the similarity between New Guinea maces and their counterparts in South America. The same basic shapes like four-, five- and six-spiked star heads (Andean cultures) or pineapple heads (Mexico) reoccur. Coincidence?