Melanesian pole club?

Tim Simmons · 17th October 2008, 09:26 PM

Getting warmer. Handle end just a little different. Vanuatu sounds cool to me. Still searching.
http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/ob...regno=fe000679

Tim Simmons · 19th October 2008, 03:35 PM

I am not sure how relevant this is but compere the "club" with the spear halft. The other side of the spears is rounded I imagine because the wood on this side is inpregnated with the pithy heart wood as can be seen in the link.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7284

Also there is some relation to the club from the New Zealand museum link in the earlier reply. If you ignore the difference in handle both clubs are truncated pure froms.

VANDOO · 19th October 2008, 07:36 PM

THE END OF THE ITEM HAS THE DARK BANDS I ASSOCIATE WITH A DECORATIVE FIBER WRAP THAT IS NOW MISSING THRU NATURAL DRYING AND DETERIOATION AND BECOMING BRITTLEOVER TIME. THE FIBER WRAP IS SOMETIMES DECORATIVE AND SOMETIMES PLAIN AND SERVES THE FUNCTION OF PROVIDING A GOOD GRIP IN MOST CASES. THIS IS COMMON THRU OUT OCEANIC SOCIETYS SO DOSEN'T HELP PIN IT DOWN MUCH. THE LOOK OF THE WOOD AND THE EVIDENCE OF A WRAP DOES CAUSE ME TO SUSPECT IT IS NOT AFRICAN OR AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL BUT THATS ABOUT ALL I CAN DEDUCE FROM IT.

THE SHAPE IS NOT SOMETHING I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN OR SOMETHING I HAVE NOTICED IN MY REFRENCES. I WOULD HAZZARD A GUESS BASED ON A GUT FEELING THAT IT NOT A CLUB BUT A CHIEFS STAFF OR A SPEAKERS STAFF. BOTH WERE USED THRU OUT POLYNESIAN SOCIETYS AND WERE OFTEN PLAIN WITH NO TIKI DECORATIONS OR SYMBOLIC MARKINGS. THEY WOULD BE MORE RARE THAN WAR CLUBS AS ONLY ONE WOULD BE MADE FOR THE VILLAGE OR IN SOME CASES SEVERAL VILLAGES. THE STAFFS WITH SYMBOLS OR MARKINGS USUALLY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH CEREMONIES AND RITUALS AND SHAMAN OR WITCHDOCTORS. THE CHIEFS STAFF WAS A SYMBOL OF THE CHIEFS POWER AND WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE A WEAPON OR BE USED IN CEREMONIES. THE SPEAKERS STAFF WAS OFTEN PLAIN AND USED AT TRIBAL MEETINGS WHERE IMPORTANT THINGS WERE BEING DISCUSSED AND RESOLVED, WHOEVER HELD THE STAFF HAD THE FLOOR AND WAS LISTENED TO BY ALL AT THESE GATHERINGS.
PERHAPS YOU CAN FIND SOMETHING SIMULAR TO YOUR ITEM LOOKING IN REFRENCES UNDER THESE TWO CATAGORYS. NICE STICK WHATEVER IT IS

GOOD LUCK

Tim Simmons · 20th October 2008, 05:10 PM

Barry, your comments are most encouraging. A speakers staff is quite interesting. Having handled some Japanese martial arts kit I am now pretty sure it is not that sort of thing. I feel the similar tapering form of the Vanuatu club may indicate a Melanesian origin. There are many islands in this group and as shown in a previous thread about wooden knives forms vary from each Island. This is also not including other Melanisian Islands.

Tim Simmons · 22nd October 2008, 08:52 PM

This is good stuff. I have the book on it's way to me. Scroll to contents and click on "hunting,warfare,and communiction"
http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=e...result#PPP1,M1

Tim Simmons · 23rd October 2008, 09:40 PM

I have the book now. I cannot spend the time to upload all the information further than where the link in the last reply left off "hunting, warfare, and communication". All I can say is that much reference was made to the simple truncated cone shape club. There is illustrations of a great many clubs, scores, just not the one I have, some very similar. Also images of how fibres were bound at the handle end and a loop to fit on the shoulder so the club hung out of the way next to the body. Reference is also made to the great "fencing skill" in the use of these clubs. The survey of the Vanuatu group of islands was carried out in 1912, at that time real clubs had ceased to be made and acurate information on all forms from the islands was no longer available. I would suggest any interested parties to purchase a copy. I am now certian of my original supostion of a Melanesion club quite probably from the Vanuatu islands but equally a possible origin from New Caledonia, New Britain, New Ireland, New Hebrides, Solomans possibly even Fiji which can be included in Melanesian study. I am confident it is not from Papua.

fearn · 23rd October 2008, 11:18 PM

Hi Tim,

I've followed the link, and in reading the text on short clubs (p. 205 and following), I'm getting confused. Since the relevant plates aren't given in the preview text, I'm limited to the written descriptions. In those descriptions, the author pretty consistently talks about short clubs having distinct grips and heads, which we definitely don't see on this specimen.

Since you actually have the book, it would be wonderful if you could either point to the text where he talks about octagonal clubs such as this specimen. I'm assuming I missed it, and I'd like to see what I missed.

F

17th October 2008, 09:26 PM	#1
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,891	Getting warmer. Handle end just a little different. Vanuatu sounds cool to me. Still searching. http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/ob...regno=fe000679 Last edited by Tim Simmons; 17th October 2008 at 09:44 PM. Reason: spelling

19th October 2008, 03:35 PM	#2
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,891	I am not sure how relevant this is but compere the "club" with the spear halft. The other side of the spears is rounded I imagine because the wood on this side is inpregnated with the pithy heart wood as can be seen in the link. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7284 Also there is some relation to the club from the New Zealand museum link in the earlier reply. If you ignore the difference in handle both clubs are truncated pure froms. Attached Images

19th October 2008, 07:36 PM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THE END OF THE ITEM HAS THE DARK BANDS I ASSOCIATE WITH A DECORATIVE FIBER WRAP THAT IS NOW MISSING THRU NATURAL DRYING AND DETERIOATION AND BECOMING BRITTLEOVER TIME. THE FIBER WRAP IS SOMETIMES DECORATIVE AND SOMETIMES PLAIN AND SERVES THE FUNCTION OF PROVIDING A GOOD GRIP IN MOST CASES. THIS IS COMMON THRU OUT OCEANIC SOCIETYS SO DOSEN'T HELP PIN IT DOWN MUCH. THE LOOK OF THE WOOD AND THE EVIDENCE OF A WRAP DOES CAUSE ME TO SUSPECT IT IS NOT AFRICAN OR AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL BUT THATS ABOUT ALL I CAN DEDUCE FROM IT. THE SHAPE IS NOT SOMETHING I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN OR SOMETHING I HAVE NOTICED IN MY REFRENCES. I WOULD HAZZARD A GUESS BASED ON A GUT FEELING THAT IT NOT A CLUB BUT A CHIEFS STAFF OR A SPEAKERS STAFF. BOTH WERE USED THRU OUT POLYNESIAN SOCIETYS AND WERE OFTEN PLAIN WITH NO TIKI DECORATIONS OR SYMBOLIC MARKINGS. THEY WOULD BE MORE RARE THAN WAR CLUBS AS ONLY ONE WOULD BE MADE FOR THE VILLAGE OR IN SOME CASES SEVERAL VILLAGES. THE STAFFS WITH SYMBOLS OR MARKINGS USUALLY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH CEREMONIES AND RITUALS AND SHAMAN OR WITCHDOCTORS. THE CHIEFS STAFF WAS A SYMBOL OF THE CHIEFS POWER AND WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE A WEAPON OR BE USED IN CEREMONIES. THE SPEAKERS STAFF WAS OFTEN PLAIN AND USED AT TRIBAL MEETINGS WHERE IMPORTANT THINGS WERE BEING DISCUSSED AND RESOLVED, WHOEVER HELD THE STAFF HAD THE FLOOR AND WAS LISTENED TO BY ALL AT THESE GATHERINGS. PERHAPS YOU CAN FIND SOMETHING SIMULAR TO YOUR ITEM LOOKING IN REFRENCES UNDER THESE TWO CATAGORYS. NICE STICK WHATEVER IT IS GOOD LUCK

20th October 2008, 05:10 PM	#4
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,891	Barry, your comments are most encouraging. A speakers staff is quite interesting. Having handled some Japanese martial arts kit I am now pretty sure it is not that sort of thing. I feel the similar tapering form of the Vanuatu club may indicate a Melanesian origin. There are many islands in this group and as shown in a previous thread about wooden knives forms vary from each Island. This is also not including other Melanisian Islands.

22nd October 2008, 08:52 PM	#5
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,891	This is good stuff. I have the book on it's way to me. Scroll to contents and click on "hunting,warfare,and communiction" http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=e...result#PPP1,M1

23rd October 2008, 09:40 PM	#6
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,891	I have the book now. I cannot spend the time to upload all the information further than where the link in the last reply left off "hunting, warfare, and communication". All I can say is that much reference was made to the simple truncated cone shape club. There is illustrations of a great many clubs, scores, just not the one I have, some very similar. Also images of how fibres were bound at the handle end and a loop to fit on the shoulder so the club hung out of the way next to the body. Reference is also made to the great "fencing skill" in the use of these clubs. The survey of the Vanuatu group of islands was carried out in 1912, at that time real clubs had ceased to be made and acurate information on all forms from the islands was no longer available. I would suggest any interested parties to purchase a copy. I am now certian of my original supostion of a Melanesion club quite probably from the Vanuatu islands but equally a possible origin from New Caledonia, New Britain, New Ireland, New Hebrides, Solomans possibly even Fiji which can be included in Melanesian study. I am confident it is not from Papua.

23rd October 2008, 11:18 PM	#7
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi Tim, I've followed the link, and in reading the text on short clubs (p. 205 and following), I'm getting confused. Since the relevant plates aren't given in the preview text, I'm limited to the written descriptions. In those descriptions, the author pretty consistently talks about short clubs having distinct grips and heads, which we definitely don't see on this specimen. Since you actually have the book, it would be wonderful if you could either point to the text where he talks about octagonal clubs such as this specimen. I'm assuming I missed it, and I'd like to see what I missed. F