Big head Dinka club

[colin henshaw]

Tim,

The Dinka and other pastoral peoples in East Africa (Nuer, Masai, Karamajong etc) didn't really produce figurative sculpture apart from a very odd exception. So I think this piece is probably from futher West (Northern Congo or CAR), known as the Ubangi area and style. Or maybe Azande, some of whom live in South West Southern Sudan ?

[Tim Simmons]

Any thoughts about living with the vandals work or making a cosmetic repair?

[Clubs & Arrows]

Tim,
I hang my clubs on the walls at the house, so my choice would be to fill the hole after getting the insert out of it. It's a shame that the previous owner did not have a stand welded with small arms that the piece can be set in/on and would not permanently become part of the piece. Nonetheless I think that it would look great on the wall whether fixed or not.

Best,
Joe

[Lew]

Tim

Try removing the tubing and fill it in with epoxy wood putty and stain to match.
I had a talk with a UK eBay seller who gets African objects and has someone make custom wood stands he drills holes in the bottom of the objects and inserts nails to mount them. I explained to the seller that drilling holes in objects devalues them and she told me she can't sell them at a higher price because people like to display what they buy. So I sent a link to art display essentials and told to buy some T-Arm armatures They can wrap and hold said object without having to drill holes

[Tim Simmons]

I had to grind a few mm away with a ball fraise in my pendant drill as it would not come out and the big danger of making a real mess. Then filled with gunge. I think it looks better not trying to hide the cosmetic repair here. It looks very similar to magic gunge Africans use on objects. When I am gone nobody will be any the wiser. It is still an uncommon club.

[Lew]

Tim

Nice repair job

Lew