Rare pre-1900 Paiwan club

[Ian]

Tim, drac, Detlef,

Thank you all for the kind words. This is probably the neatest thing I have collected this year! I have searched widely on the web, and gone to a few museum sites but have not found another example of a Paiwan club.

The Paiwan people make up about 17% of the indigenous aboriginal people of Taiwan. They are unique in having a hereditary hierarchical structure, with a nobility, a class of gentry, and commoners. With regard to the nobility, only they are permitted to adorn their items with the snake. This aligns with their creation mythology in which the snake plays an important part and is revered.

The snake depicted is Deinagkistrodon acutus, a viper that is commonly called the "hundred paces" snake—so named because if it bites someone they can walk a hundred paces before expiring. It is found on Taiwan, parts of mainland China, Laos, and perhaps Vietnam.

The club shown above is undoubtedly a ruling class item, probably ceremonial in nature. It was a symbol of power and prestige, and likely used in traditional dances.

Deinagkistrodon acutus