Mystery Wooden Club!

[ausjulius]

That is a Fijian club in your picture, the OP club is very very different and is of a southern African style.

[Ian]

Ausjulius,

Thank you for your confident post about the original club being African in origin.

Yes, the club I posted is without doubt Fijian. As noted already, it is an ula, or more precisely an I Ula Drisia, a common type where the root ball is globular. I am aware that the ula has been documented by Churchill [1] to be 15-17 in. in length, and the original post indicates a length of about 21.5 in. for that item. Thus, I agree with you that the OP is unlikely to be an ula. Nevertheless, there are common features suggesting parallel development with respect to the root clubs of Africa and Polynesia.

Ausjulius, you have made a very definite statement about the source of the OP being African. I would be greatly informed by your justification for that opinion. Am I correct in assuming that you base this on the carvings? If so, can you post examples of similar carvings on other African clubs so that we have that information for future reference in the archives.

Regards,

Ian.

Reference

1. Churchill W. Club Types of Nuclear Polynesia. Carnegie Institution of Washington, DC. 1915.

[ausjulius]

Originally Posted by Ian

Ausjulius,

Thank you for your confident post about the original club being African in origin.

Yes, the club I posted is without doubt Fijian. As noted already, it is an ula, or more precisely an I Ula Drisia, a common type where the root ball is globular. I am aware that the ula has been documented by Churchill [1] to be 15-17 in. in length, and the original post indicates a length of about 21.5 in. for that item. Thus, I agree with you that the OP is unlikely to be an ula. Nevertheless, there are common features suggesting parallel development with respect to the root clubs of Africa and Polynesia.

Ausjulius, you have made a very definite statement about the source of the OP being African. I would be greatly informed by your justification for that opinion. Am I correct in assuming that you base this on the carvings? If so, can you post examples of similar carvings on other African clubs so that we have that information for future reference in the archives.

Regards,

Ian.

Reference

1. Churchill W. Club Types of Nuclear Polynesia. Carnegie Institution of Washington, DC. 1915.

Yeah tis African. Not Polynesian or melanesianeaian.. chokwe clubs have similar carving on them in places, the head and Shaft. But there is many different ethnic groups in southern and south central Africa with similar clubs and similar art styles.
Not a pacific club

[Ian]

Ausjulius, any examples of carvings from Africa that you can post in relation to the OP of this thread?

[BANDOOK]

From my collection two pieces of African history — a Zulu Iwisa war club and a Maasai Rungu war club — and I wanted to share a little about what makes each of them so special.
• ZULU IWISA WAR CLUB — South
Africa (or Knobkerrie)
695mm long | 44 400g