Strange. Stone club head????

Tim Simmons · 1st March 2008, 05:43 PM

Got this today at a junk market for a couple of quid. Longest dimension approx 22cm, weight 1.3kg. At first glance looks rough and simple but somebody has spent many hours to cut shape and decorate this stone. It looks as if it was attached to something. Why was a pimple carved in the arch, another sign of care in creation? The stone does remind me of some stone used by the Inuit? just a guess. Anybody seen anything like it {vandoo} of course it might be nothing to do with a club. Possibly PNG?

Tim Simmons · 1st March 2008, 06:50 PM

I have been looking at native American ceremonial stone clubs. I am not saying this is but ??????

Tim Simmons · 1st March 2008, 08:30 PM

This stone is very soft. To me after x10 inspection the majority if not all of the shaping and decoration has been made by a pulled cord. I still tend to think of Inuit or there abouts. It could be a fake? This is another item I will have to take to town. Personally I do not think it is a fake but I would say that.

katana · 1st March 2008, 08:40 PM

Tim,
looking at the granular structure of the rock ..it would seem to be a sedimentary type ..like sandstone. I believe a great number of stone headed clubs were of the 'volcanic type...such as granite,quartz and flint etc. much harder and denser.
As sedimentary rock is deposited in layers it tends to have alot of inherent 'faults' which breaks/chips easily. However, if your foe is also limited to sedimentary rock clubs then.....game on

Regards David

Tim Simmons · 1st March 2008, 08:48 PM

If by any chance it is genuine, I will try and sort that out in the coming summer months. I do not think that it was made as an offence weapon. However it is quite fascinating the rare objects one can pick up if you look. ref the Vanuatu knife.

fearn · 2nd March 2008, 03:30 AM

Hi Tim,

If it's soft enough to be cut by a cord, that implies its soapstone, which it looks like. As such, it's not a purpose-built weapon.

Personally, I think it's someone's art project. While I don't profess to be an expert on inuit soapstone, I've certainly never seen anything like this. I have, however, goofed around with carving soapstone, and it's always tempting to create a fake ethnographic piece.

F

1st March 2008, 05:43 PM	#1
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,755	Strange. Stone club head???? Got this today at a junk market for a couple of quid. Longest dimension approx 22cm, weight 1.3kg. At first glance looks rough and simple but somebody has spent many hours to cut shape and decorate this stone. It looks as if it was attached to something. Why was a pimple carved in the arch, another sign of care in creation? The stone does remind me of some stone used by the Inuit? just a guess. Anybody seen anything like it {vandoo} of course it might be nothing to do with a club. Possibly PNG?

1st March 2008, 06:50 PM	#2
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,755	I have been looking at native American ceremonial stone clubs. I am not saying this is but ??????

1st March 2008, 08:30 PM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,755	This stone is very soft. To me after x10 inspection the majority if not all of the shaping and decoration has been made by a pulled cord. I still tend to think of Inuit or there abouts. It could be a fake? This is another item I will have to take to town. Personally I do not think it is a fake but I would say that.

1st March 2008, 08:40 PM	#4
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	Tim, looking at the granular structure of the rock ..it would seem to be a sedimentary type ..like sandstone. I believe a great number of stone headed clubs were of the 'volcanic type...such as granite,quartz and flint etc. much harder and denser. As sedimentary rock is deposited in layers it tends to have alot of inherent 'faults' which breaks/chips easily. However, if your foe is also limited to sedimentary rock clubs then.....game on Regards David

1st March 2008, 08:48 PM	#5
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,755	If by any chance it is genuine, I will try and sort that out in the coming summer months. I do not think that it was made as an offence weapon. However it is quite fascinating the rare objects one can pick up if you look. ref the Vanuatu knife.

2nd March 2008, 03:30 AM	#6
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi Tim, If it's soft enough to be cut by a cord, that implies its soapstone, which it looks like. As such, it's not a purpose-built weapon. Personally, I think it's someone's art project. While I don't profess to be an expert on inuit soapstone, I've certainly never seen anything like this. I have, however, goofed around with carving soapstone, and it's always tempting to create a fake ethnographic piece. F