Solomon Island club
 

Although on my beam ends I have managed to score this rather nice looking club. Not huge 22 inches approx, which is the size as the two Amazon examples shown. I am only posting one picture but from the rest I believe there is some age to the piece, a very good chance that it is pre- WW2 . Other pictures seem to show some neglect to the wood. I am no wood expert but I have found that if wood has had some age and patina hidden by neglect it can be retrieved unless severely damaged. I will do some follow up when I have it. Interesting that headhunting increased on European contact.

Info link.

http://australianmuseum.net.au/headh...islands-part-2

Headhunting in Roviana area stopped abruptly in the early 20th century as a result of colonial intervention. In 1909 Charles Morris Woodford, Resident Commissioner in New Georgia reported that headhunting had become largely ‘a thing of the past’.

hi Tim! You keep finding the good stuff! another nice find!

I'm not so sure about the age though, the inlay looks rather new from the pictures, could you post some close-up pictures ?

Still like it though, there seems to be a lot of Solomon island clubs lately and i believe there is no good reference for them (if anyone knows one please share!)

At last it is here, UK customs can take what seems an age compered to travel time. Here are some daylight pictures. Does not have the patina I had hoped for but none the less it does have some age, certainly not antique in the strictest terms, even for the Solomons. However a handsome piece and very nice in the hand, shown with other clubs in the size range.

Trying to capture the play of light on the shell.

Form variation from AMNH.
https://anthro.amnh.org/anthropology...%2E1%2F%201411