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Club, 19th century
Black palm wood, cassowary feathers, leaf decoration, lime
86.7 cm (34 1/8 in.)

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Artist Biography: (none) PROVENANCE: "Pitt Rivers Museum, Farnham, Dorset." (Catalog #407, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 152.) PUBLICATIONS: 2005 - "No survey of the collection locations of these rare clubs has been made, but they are probably from the southern part of the Massim region, particularly from the Capes (Newton, 1975: 7), since they are carved from black palm, and the pommel consists of a motif much more common in the south than in the north. This motif consists of a bird, more or less stylized, in the open jaws of the stylized head of a fish, the abote image. (See pl. 398 and 406; see Beran, 1988: 34-35). Such asymmetrical finials are also found on lime spatulas, cooking spoons, and steering rudders (Norick, 1976: 128). Thomas Huxley made a drawing of a man with a club similar to this one in the Louisiades during the voyage of HMS Rattlesnake in 1849. (See Joppien, 1980, fig. 14). No information is available as to whether these clubs were used in fighting or during dances or ceremonies. See Newton, 1975, figs. 32-33 for comparable clubs with forked ends (but without the asymmetrical pommel decoration of the example depicted here)." (Catalog #407, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 152.) 1988 - Sotheby's, London, July 11, 1988, lot 27.

Related Keywords
Club 152 p 2 Volume 2005 Friede John Marcia Jolika Masterpieces Art 407 Catalog Dorset Farnham Museum Rivers Pitt Massim Southern Oceania Province Bay Milne Guinea New Papua Melanesia Armor Arms lime decoration leaf feathers cassowary wood palm Black 0308200711540047 A383337 AOA