Massai/african wooden lance or oceanian ?

[Marius66]

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

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by Marius66

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

I do not know what this is but I am pretty sure that it isn't a Masai spear. Masai use various types of iron-tipped spears.

[Tim Simmons]

I have a feeling it is an African paddle.

[drac2k]

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??

[Marius66]

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

[milandro]

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

[drac2k]

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.

[Tim Simmons]

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

[Marius66]

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.

[Marius66]

Here the pictures

[Peter B.]

I would also say definitely not Maasai. Neither form nor ornament suit Maasai.

[Akanthus]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

I do not know what this is but I am pretty sure that it isn't a Masai spear. Masai use various types of iron-tipped spears.

Yes, right. I don't want to hunt lions with this wood thing.....

[Marius66]

And back in Africa...

A ceremonial wooden spear from Congo ( democratic republic of Congo )
All wood made , tip only is made of metal

[drac2k]

Could it be like this spear, only missing the metal tip?

[Marius66]

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

[milandro]

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

[drac2k]

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 ?

[Marius66]

OK sure,
I will prepare it 👍

[Marius66]

Here the tip

[Marius66]

Red-brown patina under black paint -laquer ?
Especially the shaft.

[Marius66]

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...

[Marius66]

Forum moderator please !!

[Marius66]

Hello,
My pictures please !

[Marius66]

Last one

[Marius66]

Sorry, it was this one

[Marius66]

''head'' of the spear/staff looks like a stylised bird head.
Something like a jabiru stork or a vulture

[drac2k]

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!

[francantolin]

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...?..?.

[Marius66]

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 ...)?