MOST DESIRED OCEANIC WAR CLUBS 1: MARQUESAS

[Diceman]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

ASH TWO FEATURES ON YOUR CLUB ARE VERY INTERESTING THE NOSE AND MOUTH CARVED ON THE HEAD OF THE CLUB ON ONE SIDE ONLY IS UNIQUE. THE OTHER IS ON SOME OF THE TIKIS THE EYE RESEMBLES A LEAF MAKES ONE WONDER IF THERE IS BOTH ANIMAL AND PLANT INCORPORATED A BIT INTO THE DESIGNS WHICH ARE NO DOUBT BASED ON THE BELIEFS OF THE SOCIETY. THE DESIGNS AND FORMS ARE ART BUT HAVE MEANING AS WELL AND CONSIDERING THE SERIOUSNESS OF BREAKING ANY TAPU IN POLYNESIAN SOCIETYS, TRADITION AND BELIEFS WERE NO DOUBT FOLLOWED.
ONE PICTURE OF A UU AND A CEREMONIAL PADDLE. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS KIND OF PADDLE WAS USED IN THE MARQUESAS BUT DO KNOW IT WAS FOUND IN THE COOK IS. AND PERHAPS IN TAHITI.
THE OTHER UNIQUE MARQUESAS CARVING WERE CEREMONIAL STILTS NOT SURE WHAT CEREMONIAL PURPOSE THEY SERVED? TWO PICTURES OF STILTS AND A UNUSUAL TIKI CARVING IN TRADITIONAL MARQUESAN FORM.

Vandoo, The Paddle in that sketch is actually from the Austral Islands. They were not used in the water. Quite a few of them were made and used for trade. I think I heard somewhere that there are about 1000 in private collections and museums. Here is one I carved a few years ago.