War Club but from Where?

[drac2k]

I recently purchased this war club that was listed as being from the South Pacific; I thought maybe Papua New Guinea or there abouts.
When I received it, the chipped handle and the stitched leather made me wonder about its origins.It could be a movie prop, but it is too well made.The handle is one piece,with the stone head inserted through the handle, cemented in with some type of pitch,further secured with some type of organic material like birch, bamboo,etc. strips, that have evidence of insect damage through out the years.
Any opinion would be appreciated.

[Rick]

That stuff holding the stone in place looks like sinew from the pictures. I did an image search and most of the examples similar to this are attributed as Native American in origin.

[colin henshaw]

A nice piece, its from the Gran Chaco area of South America (Paraguay/Argentina). Quite scarce.

[Tim Simmons]

Love it

[drac2k]

Thanks Gentlemen, now I have 2 avenues to follow. After posting this, a collector friend called it a Mohawk Blucher.
Rick, I think you are right that the strappings are sinew.

[drac2k]

Since my last post, I looked up "Gran Chaco War Axe," and there is an almost identical axe, except instead of stone the head is made from the jawbone of a horse.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by drac2k

Since my last post, I looked up "Gran Chaco War Axe," and there is an almost identical axe, except instead of stone the head is made from the jawbone of a horse.

I think you mean this one?

[drac2k]

You nailed it again Sajen,thanks for the assist! I'll put it with my other war clubs that I previously mistook for South Pacific,lol.I am amazed by the similarity of South Pacific and South American weapons.

[Bob A]

I have no hands-on experience with these, and I'm curious about the attachment to the handle; is the wood split and the stone/bone lashed in? I can't tell from the side views.

[Tim Simmons]

This club is from Peru, not knowing where from in Peru but I have seen old drawings just saying Peru. Like yours showing stitched cured hide.

[drac2k]

The haft is not split, but rather a hole has been carved out to accommodate the stone head, then it is cemented in with some type of resin, and then lashed in;it is very firmly secured.

[Tim Simmons]

I am adding this Australian club only because as you yourself having thought the club a prop, when held in the hand you discover how well made it is. Made of materials at hand and knowledge of there uses. Just becuase a man may be naked and illiturate does not mean he makes tools that do not work however simple they appear to us. This Aus club is well balanced, weight and handle form to work smoothly in the hand. If you work with hand tools you know this. When first shown here this club was somewhat ridiculed by those not in the know until I could upload picture of Aus club of the same construction.

[drac2k]

The examples that you have shown are fantastic; if you no longer wish to be ridiculed, I suggest that you send them to me........I will not charge you for the service and I'll even pay the postage!

[Ian]

Here is a PNG battle axe downloaded from an online site. Some similarity to the original post in terms of wrapping of the head.
.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

... Just because a man may be naked and illiterate does not mean he makes tools that do not work however simple they appear to us. This Aus club is well balanced, weight and handle form to work smoothly in the hand. If you work with hand tools you know this. When first shown here this club was somewhat ridiculed by those not in the know until I could upload picture of Aus club of the same construction.

Tim,

This is a very important observation. There are well documented instances when Europeans made first contact with indigenous Australians that the locals would look at European tools and reject them in favor of what they already had. Regardless of the "superiority" of iron or steel tools, they usually chose there own stone ones because the latter served the purposes for which they were made, and the European versions offered no clear advance over what they had and were familiar with using.

Indigenous Australians were no less "smart" than the Europeans who arrived. Their culture had adapted to their environment and had developed tools and weapons appropriate for a range of ecological niches. They had survived in the same manner for more than 50,000 years, gradually improving their technologies over time. Some of them had interactions with other Melanesian groups to the north (Torres Strait islanders, Papua-New Guineans), but there was little diffusion of technologies from outside the continent. For example, indigenous Australians never adopted the bow and arrow, although tribal groups in what is now northern Queensland would have been exposed to that technology through their northern neighbors.

I believe this pattern of adopting what works best for the culture was true for many indigenous groups around the world, if left to their own devices.

Regards, Ian