Antique Japanese & World Weapons AUG. 29th
Lot 241:
Very Cool Antique Polynesian New Guinea Carved Wood War Club. A short but strong hard-wood example with well carved spiked head and geometrical patterned decorations, original leather wrist strap snapped but still present. ~~~~~ In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, there was no steel or bronze in the Pacific. Hardwood whalebone and stone were the hardest materials. One of the dominant weapons was the club. Simple but deadly effective. In New Guinea, much of the Fighting was with a shield bearing archers. In Polynesia clubs were the weapon of choice. It was the Polynesian war club that was the most highly prized and intricately decorated warriors’ weapons. In Fiji, weapons were so venerated that some had personal names and given the same treatment as idols. ~~~~~ Other offensive weapons used in Polynesian warfare include spears, bows and arrows, slings and bone daggers. There are a huge variety of forms of Polynesian War Club more so than any other weapon. ~~~~~ Polynesian Warfare : In Polynesian society, war was not uncommon and occurred between different tribes and clans. It was a chance for warriors to prove their personal prowess and improve their reputations. It was quite a common, for example, for Maori war leaders to fight a one on one duel as proxies for their armies. Wars had structure and a sense of formality. Fighting with war clubs was honorable. ~~~~~ Polynesians trained from a young age to use war clubs and in places, club fighting became almost a martial art. Youngsters spent hours mastering the arm, body and foot moves necessary to use various types of war club effectively. ~~~~~ Each Polynesian culture had distinctive club styles. It is possible to determine where a war club has come from by its shape and form. ~~~~~ In other areas of the Pacific Like New Guinea and the Solomon Islands warfare was also ritualized but with projectile weapons and shields. Length- 13 1/4"
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