Lew Waldman's Ethnographic Arms & Armour Collection Archive


88 - African Gogo Tribe (Tanzania) Club, Mid 20th Century

This nicely formed club appears to have been fashioned with a root ball as the head with an outbranching stem forming the handle. The handle flares slightly in diameter at the end and shifts to be more oval than round in diameter as the head is approached. A 'notch' demarcates the transition from handle to the somewhat pear shaped head. The head is darker than the shaft and shows numerous scuffs and indentations, especially on its leading side. Cracks and grain defects typical of a root ball origin are noted on the head and there are long cracks running lengthwise in the shaft that appear to be stable. Lew placed this example as circa 1940s. Overall length is 22¼ inches with a weight of 11 ounces.




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