Zulu Club ?

Battara · 31st May 2020, 12:06 AM

Does look like a form of knobberrie, doesn't it? And the Zulu did use beads and these colors (but so did other South African groups).

Lee · 31st May 2020, 01:47 AM

Lew had a similar club in his collection.

drac2k · 31st May 2020, 01:51 AM

Thanks, that is a pretty close match.

kronckew · 31st May 2020, 10:30 AM

Iv got one of these Iwisa too (and a few more), the 'flats' are usually a bit sunken or dished, to keep them from cracking due to drying out, they'd store them with one of the flats up, and with a blob of fat that would infiltrate the wood. Next time they's turn it so the other flat was uppermost & blob that side. The lubs were made by vassal tribes, usually Shona as tribute, out of 'assegai' wood, a strong tough rosewood variant. The spherical centred ball ones usually do not have the flats. You rub the whole thing in fat or veggy oil.
Modern Zulu and Shona do wirework with assorted color plastic covered telephone wire. in the old times they had the technology to make iron and copper wire to decorate their weapons and other items.

Mine: (seller's photo I kept)

drac2k · 31st May 2020, 04:20 PM

Well, that explains the "flats;" a better explanation than the one that I had read that stated it was for extinguishing Zulu Cigars.
I also have several clubs with the wire work, but as I noted before, this is the first one with beadwork. Is this ceremonial, for tourists, or just one of where someone had a string of extra beads and thought it was a good idea to put them on a club? The beads are very small and there are literally thousands of them; it would have been no small feat to string them all.

kronckew · 31st May 2020, 05:00 PM

Since the telephone made the coloured wire available, it's use has exploded for decorative work on way more items than mere weapons. They, like most cultures like bright colours on stuff.

Tiny beads like those are another matter, if they are not plastic, consider how difficult and expensive they would be to make, especially drilling the central hole. Preindustrial wire manufacture, hand drawing, was also labour intensive and expensive.

Modern wirework incorporates beads as well, as they are mass produced in bulk and cheap. As is the wire.

Streetwires

Wirework

Wire History

Native Americans did it, and, like the Zulu, covered a lot of things in them. beaded shoes (moccasins), belts,weapons, etc. So the Shona/Zulu would have been as able. I suspect, like Native Americans, it was decorative and showed the wealth and status of the wearer who could afford the work being done on their stuff. On an impact weapon I suspect it's be more ceremonial as it'd be easy to damage the beading compared to the more normal iron/brass braided reinforceing bands.

drac2k · 31st May 2020, 08:28 PM

I'm pretty sure that the beads are not plastic and the medium connecting them is the consistency of your average thread, not metal;I'm guessing there are at least 4500 beads.

31st May 2020, 01:47 AM	#2
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 937	Similar but likely older Lew had a similar club in his collection.

31st May 2020, 10:30 AM	#4
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,224	Iv got one of these Iwisa too (and a few more), the 'flats' are usually a bit sunken or dished, to keep them from cracking due to drying out, they'd store them with one of the flats up, and with a blob of fat that would infiltrate the wood. Next time they's turn it so the other flat was uppermost & blob that side. The lubs were made by vassal tribes, usually Shona as tribute, out of 'assegai' wood, a strong tough rosewood variant. The spherical centred ball ones usually do not have the flats. You rub the whole thing in fat or veggy oil. Modern Zulu and Shona do wirework with assorted color plastic covered telephone wire. in the old times they had the technology to make iron and copper wire to decorate their weapons and other items. Mine: (seller's photo I kept) Attached Images

31st May 2020, 12:06 AM	#1
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,280	Does look like a form of knobberrie, doesn't it? And the Zulu did use beads and these colors (but so did other South African groups).

31st May 2020, 01:51 AM	#3
drac2k Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,258	Thanks, that is a pretty close match.

31st May 2020, 04:20 PM	#5
drac2k Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,258	Well, that explains the "flats;" a better explanation than the one that I had read that stated it was for extinguishing Zulu Cigars. I also have several clubs with the wire work, but as I noted before, this is the first one with beadwork. Is this ceremonial, for tourists, or just one of where someone had a string of extra beads and thought it was a good idea to put them on a club? The beads are very small and there are literally thousands of them; it would have been no small feat to string them all.

31st May 2020, 05:00 PM	#6
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,224	Since the telephone made the coloured wire available, it's use has exploded for decorative work on way more items than mere weapons. They, like most cultures like bright colours on stuff. Tiny beads like those are another matter, if they are not plastic, consider how difficult and expensive they would be to make, especially drilling the central hole. Preindustrial wire manufacture, hand drawing, was also labour intensive and expensive. Modern wirework incorporates beads as well, as they are mass produced in bulk and cheap. As is the wire. Streetwires Wirework Wire History Native Americans did it, and, like the Zulu, covered a lot of things in them. beaded shoes (moccasins), belts,weapons, etc. So the Shona/Zulu would have been as able. I suspect, like Native Americans, it was decorative and showed the wealth and status of the wearer who could afford the work being done on their stuff. On an impact weapon I suspect it's be more ceremonial as it'd be easy to damage the beading compared to the more normal iron/brass braided reinforceing bands.

31st May 2020, 08:28 PM	#7
drac2k Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,258	I'm pretty sure that the beads are not plastic and the medium connecting them is the consistency of your average thread, not metal;I'm guessing there are at least 4500 beads.