CARVING VARIATIONS ON OCEANIC CLUBS

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THE AUSTRALIAN CLUBS AND DIGGING STICKS ARE A GOOD EXAMPLE OF PURELY FUNCTIONAL CARVING. THAT DIFFERS FROM DECORATIVE DESIGN WHICH OFTEN SERVES THE SAME PURPOSE OF GIVING YOU A BETTER GRIP. THE PLANT RESIN ALSO HELPS THE GRIP AS WELL AS HAVING A KNOB ON THE HANDLE END AND PERHAPS A LANYARD. WARRIORS NO DOUBT LEARNED THE LESSON EARLY THAT LOSING ONES CLUB IN BATTLE WAS BAD. EVEN IF YOU ESCAPED YOU LOST YOUR CLUB AND WOULD HAVE TO ENDURE YOUR FELLOW WARRIORS DOING A DANCE SHOWING HOW FUNNY YOU LOOKED RUNNING FOR YOUR LIFE AFTER YOU LOST YOUR CLUB.
THE ABORIGINAL WEAPONS OFTEN HAD VERY PLAIN DECORATION BUT THEY ALSO HAD SOME GOOD CARVEING BUT OFTEN WERE PAINTED WITH PIGMENTS FOR CEREMONIAL OCCASIONS OR TO DENOTE YOUR TRIBAL FAMILY. THE MOST INTRICATE CARVING SEEMS TO HAVE COME FROM TONGA, NEW ZEALAND, MAORI AND MARQUESAS. MANY OTHER ISLANDS DID INTRICATE CARVING BUT IT WAS USUALLY NOT AS COMPLEX AS THOSE MENTIONED ABOVE.
TWO PICTURES OF A AUSTRALIAN LEAGLE CLUB SIMPLE CARVING ON HANDLE AND NOTE HOW THE TREE WAS BENT AND GROWN IN THE CURVE BEFORE HARVESTING TO MAKE THE CLUB.
TWO PICTURES OF A AUSTRALIAN CLUB WITH CARVING ,PERHAPS THE HEAD OF THE CLUB REPRESENTS THE JABBARU BIRD.
CLOSEUP OF THE SIMPLE CARVING ON THE HANDLE OF A NEW CALEDONIAN CLUB SIMULAR TO THE STIPPLED STYLE ONTHE CLUB HEAD.