Melanesian pole club?

Tim Simmons · 1st September 2008, 07:17 PM

Or further a field. Found this Sunday just gone. I think it is extreamly nice. You can see where some binding/lanyard has been at the handle end. I know there are many forms of pole clubs from the south seas and I feel sure I have seen this octagonal form before. Not weapons we see much of here? Opinions and other examples would be great. It may just look like a stick, that is untill you have it in your hand. I show it next to a massive Dinka club and a fairly standard size Kerrie.

fearn · 2nd September 2008, 04:52 AM

Sure it's not Japanese?

Tim Simmons · 2nd September 2008, 08:03 AM

I know nothing about Japanese weapons fearn. I can see your thoughts in the purity of form, not unusual in the South Seas too.

Somebody out there knows about Japanese wood clubs? a peasants weapon? perhaps a police baton? I have a heavy boken of similarly dark coloured wood but seems quite different wood really, perhaps because it is not old like the club.

I would rather it was from the Melanesian world.

I have very small information about pole clubs in New Ireland but there are many other islands in the region.

Help please?

lemmythesmith · 2nd September 2008, 11:07 PM

Hi Tim, the form of your club does look like a Japanese kanabo but the ones I've handled are much bigger-about 4-5 feet long and have strips of studded iron attached to them. The bottom half of kanabo are often carved with ribbing looking as if they were turned on a lathe but probably applied by hand.

Hope this helps, Graham

fearn · 3rd September 2008, 02:41 AM

Hi Tim,

I was thinking of the Japanese hanbo, which is about 3 feet long and 1 to 1.5 inches diameter. It might have a hole drilled near one end for a wrist loop. Basically, the smooth, relatively even club with an octagonal cross section seems like a Japanese thing to me.

Without doing a (destructive) wood test, there's not much way to tell, unless you have something in the way of provenance.

Anyway, it's just my opinion. I'd be happy to be wrong.

F

Tim Simmons · 3rd September 2008, 03:01 PM

F you are not wrong. At least it is an old one. Another piece to put at the back of the wardrobe.

1st September 2008, 07:17 PM	#1
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,813	Melanesian pole club? Or further a field. Found this Sunday just gone. I think it is extreamly nice. You can see where some binding/lanyard has been at the handle end. I know there are many forms of pole clubs from the south seas and I feel sure I have seen this octagonal form before. Not weapons we see much of here? Opinions and other examples would be great. It may just look like a stick, that is untill you have it in your hand. I show it next to a massive Dinka club and a fairly standard size Kerrie. Last edited by Tim Simmons; 1st September 2008 at 09:23 PM. Reason: spelling

2nd September 2008, 08:03 AM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,813	I know nothing about Japanese weapons fearn. I can see your thoughts in the purity of form, not unusual in the South Seas too. Somebody out there knows about Japanese wood clubs? a peasants weapon? perhaps a police baton? I have a heavy boken of similarly dark coloured wood but seems quite different wood really, perhaps because it is not old like the club. I would rather it was from the Melanesian world. I have very small information about pole clubs in New Ireland but there are many other islands in the region. Help please? Last edited by Tim Simmons; 2nd September 2008 at 08:13 AM.

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2nd September 2008, 04:52 AM	#2
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Sure it's not Japanese?

2nd September 2008, 11:07 PM	#4
lemmythesmith Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 93	Hi Tim, the form of your club does look like a Japanese kanabo but the ones I've handled are much bigger-about 4-5 feet long and have strips of studded iron attached to them. The bottom half of kanabo are often carved with ribbing looking as if they were turned on a lathe but probably applied by hand. Hope this helps, Graham

3rd September 2008, 02:41 AM	#5
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi Tim, I was thinking of the Japanese hanbo, which is about 3 feet long and 1 to 1.5 inches diameter. It might have a hole drilled near one end for a wrist loop. Basically, the smooth, relatively even club with an octagonal cross section seems like a Japanese thing to me. Without doing a (destructive) wood test, there's not much way to tell, unless you have something in the way of provenance. Anyway, it's just my opinion. I'd be happy to be wrong. F

3rd September 2008, 03:01 PM	#6
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,813	F you are not wrong. At least it is an old one. Another piece to put at the back of the wardrobe.