CARVING VARIATIONS ON OCEANIC CLUBS

VANDOO · 22nd February 2010, 08:34 PM

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.

Tim Simmons · 27th February 2010, 07:35 PM

Not wanting this thread does wither so quickly I add this piece. One of my favourites. I like the way the grip is sensitively cut to form decoration in a "Jackson Pollock" kind of fashion. Most of all I like the chevron pattern sculpted in the whole form rather than an applied decoration. Gives the object a life/vibration of its own, very clever. It can feel like holding a large just caught Mackerel, or am I just a little strange?

Lew · 28th February 2010, 02:13 PM

Tim

Here is another example.

Lew · 28th February 2010, 02:17 PM

Here are some fine examples from the Met's collection.

Tim Simmons · 28th February 2010, 06:22 PM

Thanks Lew. I would give all my collection for this. Sheer genius, out of this world beautiful, very scary and so cleverly made.

graeme gt · 28th February 2010, 06:45 PM

My pole club.

VANDOO · 1st March 2010, 04:34 AM

VERY NICE CLUBS GUYS

I THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY CONNECTIONS BETWEEN CARVING ON CLUBS AND TATOOS (TATU).SO I WILL ADD HERE A QUOTE ON POLYNESIAN TATOOS

"POLYNESIAN MYTHOLOGY= THE 2 SONS OF THE GOD OF CREATION TA'AROA TAUGHT THE ART OF TATOOING TO HUMANS. IT WAS A TAPU OR SACRED ART FORM. IT WAS PREFORMED BY SHAMAN (TAHUA) WHO WERE HIGHLY TRAINED IN RELIGIOUS RITUAL, THE MEANING OF THE DESIGNS AND TECKNICAL ASPECTS OF THE ART. THE DESIGNS AND THEIR LOCATIONS ON THE BODY WERE DETERMINED BY ONE'S GENEOLOGY, POSITION IN SOCIETY AND PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS." END QUOTE

JUDGEING FROM THE STRICT CEREMONIES AND TABOOS (TAPU) ASSOCIATED WITH POLYNESIAN SOCIETY I AM SURE THERE IS A LOT OF MEANING TO ANY DESIGNS USED ON ARTEFACTS AS WELL AS PEOPLE. I WILL TRY AND SEE IF ANY TATOO DESIGNS ARE THE SAME AS THOSE ON WEAPONS AND IF THE MEANING OR PURPOSE IS KNOWN FOR TATOOS PERHAPS IT WOULD BE THE SAME ON WEAPONS?.
IF ANYONE HAS ACCESS TO GOOD REFRENCE MATERIAL OR CURRENT KNOWLEGE JUMP IN AS I WILL BE STARTING FROM SCRATCH AS FAR AS REFRENCE ON TATOOS GOES.

ONE OLD PICTURE OF MARQUESAN WARRIORS
ONE SMALL HAND CLUB IN LIGHT COLOR HEAVY WOOD, THE KIND THAT DOSEN'T SHOW PATINA JUST WEAR AND DIRT.
THE HANDLE OF A STRANGE CLUB I SUSPECT FROM THE ISLANDS NEAR NEW GUINEA.

22nd February 2010, 08:34 PM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	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. Attached Images

27th February 2010, 07:35 PM	#2
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,890	Not wanting this thread does wither so quickly I add this piece. One of my favourites. I like the way the grip is sensitively cut to form decoration in a "Jackson Pollock" kind of fashion. Most of all I like the chevron pattern sculpted in the whole form rather than an applied decoration. Gives the object a life/vibration of its own, very clever. It can feel like holding a large just caught Mackerel, or am I just a little strange? Attached Images

28th February 2010, 02:13 PM	#3
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Tim Here is another example. Attached Images

28th February 2010, 02:17 PM	#4
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Here are some fine examples from the Met's collection. Attached Images

28th February 2010, 06:22 PM	#5
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,890	Thanks Lew. I would give all my collection for this. Sheer genius, out of this world beautiful, very scary and so cleverly made. Attached Images

28th February 2010, 06:45 PM	#6
graeme gt Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 97	My pole club. Attached Images

1st March 2010, 04:34 AM	#7
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	VERY NICE CLUBS GUYS I THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY CONNECTIONS BETWEEN CARVING ON CLUBS AND TATOOS (TATU).SO I WILL ADD HERE A QUOTE ON POLYNESIAN TATOOS "POLYNESIAN MYTHOLOGY= THE 2 SONS OF THE GOD OF CREATION TA'AROA TAUGHT THE ART OF TATOOING TO HUMANS. IT WAS A TAPU OR SACRED ART FORM. IT WAS PREFORMED BY SHAMAN (TAHUA) WHO WERE HIGHLY TRAINED IN RELIGIOUS RITUAL, THE MEANING OF THE DESIGNS AND TECKNICAL ASPECTS OF THE ART. THE DESIGNS AND THEIR LOCATIONS ON THE BODY WERE DETERMINED BY ONE'S GENEOLOGY, POSITION IN SOCIETY AND PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS." END QUOTE JUDGEING FROM THE STRICT CEREMONIES AND TABOOS (TAPU) ASSOCIATED WITH POLYNESIAN SOCIETY I AM SURE THERE IS A LOT OF MEANING TO ANY DESIGNS USED ON ARTEFACTS AS WELL AS PEOPLE. I WILL TRY AND SEE IF ANY TATOO DESIGNS ARE THE SAME AS THOSE ON WEAPONS AND IF THE MEANING OR PURPOSE IS KNOWN FOR TATOOS PERHAPS IT WOULD BE THE SAME ON WEAPONS?. IF ANYONE HAS ACCESS TO GOOD REFRENCE MATERIAL OR CURRENT KNOWLEGE JUMP IN AS I WILL BE STARTING FROM SCRATCH AS FAR AS REFRENCE ON TATOOS GOES. ONE OLD PICTURE OF MARQUESAN WARRIORS ONE SMALL HAND CLUB IN LIGHT COLOR HEAVY WOOD, THE KIND THAT DOSEN'T SHOW PATINA JUST WEAR AND DIRT. THE HANDLE OF A STRANGE CLUB I SUSPECT FROM THE ISLANDS NEAR NEW GUINEA. Attached Images