Club
ClassificationsArms and Armor-clubs
Date20th Century
Made AtPapua New Guinea
MediumWood and stone
Dimensions41 3/4 × 4 5/8 × 4 5/8 in. (106 × 11.7 × 11.7 cm)
Credit LineAnonymous Gift
Object number2021.7.81
DescriptionClubs with multifaceted stone heads such as this one are found in the Central Highlands region of Papua New Guinea. The shape of the club head is often cited as a representation of the pandanus fruit.War clubs were very common in the islands that make up Melanesia, including the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Guinea. Primarily wielded in tribal conflicts, clubs made of heavy wood and occasionally fitted with stone heads were highly effective bludgeoning tools. War clubs had other uses too. They could be employed in agriculture and symbolic war clubs were often created for the sole purpose of being placed beside a deceased warrior as they prepared for the journey into the afterworld.
On View
On viewCollections
20th Century
19th Century
19th Century
20th Century
20th Century
20th Century
late 19th Century
20th Century
20th Century
20th Century