new club, any ideas?

[Tim Simmons]

This came we another club {new thread for that one} from a small group of clubs that were sold in a local auction. The other items in the group were easy to identify, a club from the New Hebrides and three Fijian Ulas needless to say they went for far too much money. But this and the other seemed not to be considered. The club is 74cm long, not a particularly heavy wood. Thin steel strips nailed on as decoration. Also a bronze industrial stamping from a lamp or piece of furniture or other decorated western object. Is it from the South Sea's like the other items? any ideas?

[Lew]

A sailor's club seems non tribal to me?

[Tim Simmons]

Might even be a soldiers ww1 trench club. Studs from hobnail boots and a lanyard hole roughly picked out with a six inch nail. The bronze decoration from a French farm house?

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

Might even be a soldiers ww1 trench club. Studs from hobnail boots and a lanyard hole roughly picked out with a six inch nail. The bronze decoration from a French farm house?

Hi Tim, Interesting item!
Any soldiers clubs I have seen have had a much shorter handle as they were more "designed" for use in the trenchs, and the studs on any I have seen were all hobnails.
Stu

[Tim Simmons]

This is the same length but a lot more elaborate.

http://www.cinoa.org/exhibits/21479

[fearn]

Hi Tim,

I think the Fijian one is carved...

I'm with Kahnjar on this one: it makes most sense as a trench club to me.

Best,

F

[Gavin Nugent]

G'day Tim,

As indicated previously I do think this is an old Engish club. Something a publican in an old out of the way pub might have at hand in the ole days.

Gav

[Tim Simmons]

Looks chaps I have issues about this sailor/pub landlord origin.

This is why, okay there are metal parts on the club. The metal bits look like innocent pieces of scrap and by themselves they are. Then one looks at the hole for the lanyard. Would a pub landlord or a sailor sit and pick a hole through the club? Most people of European cultural origin would use a drill or at least a hot metal rod as often seen in Africa. Also the pub landlord must of had a fetish for pretty industrial stampings, especially as they are an everyday occurrence in their society which also seems decidedly unmacho for a European inspired weapon.
I might suggest that the hole has been picked out or roughly drilled with a piece of flint or shell because any metal that could be construed as a weapon was made unavailable. This might help to explain the value of the innocent bits that are on it.

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

Looks chaps I have issues about this sailor/pub landlord origin.

This is why, okay there are metal parts on the club. The metal bits look like innocent pieces of scrap and by themselves they are. Then one looks at the hole for the lanyard. Would a pub landlord or a sailor sit and pick a hole through the club? Most people of European cultural origin would use a drill or at least a hot metal rod as often seen in Africa. Also the pub landlord must of had a fetish for pretty industrial stampings, especially as they are an everyday occurrence in their society which also seems decidedly unmacho for a European inspired weapon.
I might suggest that the hole has been picked out or roughly drilled with a piece of flint or shell because any metal that could be construed as a weapon was made unavailable. This might help to explain the value of the innocent bits that are on it.

Indeed Tim,

A sailor in particular would take the time to pick a hole for a wrist lanyard, wouldn't want to see it fall overboard. Like the art of Scrimshaw, they had the time at sea to do these things A publican would surely do the same in days of old, something for a suspension loop to hang on a wall or behind a beam so it is in easy reach without having to bend down or take his eye of the target
Speculation is just that though

Gav

Gav

[fearn]

Hi Tim,

I think you just made a better case for it being a trench weapon. A sailor probably could have borrowed a drill from the ship's carpenter, and he would have had time for craftsmanship. What he wouldn't have had (necessarily) was surplus semi-random bits of metal lying around to stud his club.

Ditto for your islander. He's got the time for craftsmanship, but would be missing the industrially made metal. This thing is pretty crude.

A publican--possible, but again, he probably would have had the tools lying around. If he was that scared of his customers, he probably would have the tools to replace the bar fixtures, and this suggests he couldn't afford a blunderbuss or something similarly scary.

A WWI soldier? He's going to have some surplus metal lying around, either from looting or in surplus around the trench. And he is going to need to make a functional weapon. However, he's going to be missing the proper tools, though, so he's going to have to use whatever he has within his duty area.

Of course, we could be talking about something made by a gangster.

My 0.00000000002 pence,

F

[Tim Simmons]

You say tamato I say tomato, you eat Vegemite I eat Marmite
I have just realised where and why the work on this club was some how familiar, just had to and the cat. The wood of the newer club is lighter but heck is that not in your face?

[fearn]

Wrong side of the pond, Tim. I eat peanut butter.

I guess I made those clubs, since I've made similar scrapes on my projects. Don't remember it, though. If you send them to me, I'll check my records

Best,

F

[Tim Simmons]

Got to add these pics from "The Art of Eastern Australia" David Petty collection. of other clubs with European metal additions.. I do not know what region my pieces come from but it is not the first time I have seen the use of this texture to the wood. The book of the "Petty" collection has very loose ideas of what provenance is, so make of it what you will. I did feel my pieces were rather inferior but I am not so now, they would look just as cool photographed this way?