Two from S.Sudan, C.E Africa

[Tim Simmons]

I am having bit of a festival today, that's okay we're all friends here :D . It a holiday in the UK. Something I got right today. Nice foot to the spear lovely haft and beautiful blade and balance, a thumb slasher when cleaning. Truly fantastic club.

[katana]

Hi Tim,
nice spear .......the giant 'twiglet' is unusual :) :p ....I have seen several Shillelaghs that, from memory....where very similar ......Irish?

[Freddy]

Nice spear, Tim. Is it from the Sudan ?

We don't see those very often in Belgium, you know.

[Tim Simmons]

Freddy,
I am sure the spears of this general form are from S, Sudan, Uganda and possibly N, Kenya. As I mentioned, and post a spear a month or so back. The stylist influence is quite widespread. Though it does seem to change quite dramatically when one thinks about the Congo {further than Zande and Mangbetu} and the Western Sahara.

David. There is that instinct to think is it Irish. Where does that come from? The club came from a collection of many artifacts from the S.Sudan Nile river region. I took what I thought were the best bits though I did think about the beautiful carved paddles and a bow. Some other chap seemed to more money or something like that.

[katana]

Hi Tim,
strangely enough the film 'Khartoum' ( Charlton Heston & Lawrence Olivier)was on TV today :) I was acutely aware of the weaponary used....now I am not saying that it was totally historically accurate but....the majority of the swords were kaskaras with a few Shamshirs making an appearance..so pretty accurate there...the majority of the Mahdists had spears ...that were very similar to the one you posted .....so if they got the swords right.......... ;)
As to the club, I have never seen this type of club attributed to Africa.....but that does not mean it isn't. I suppose the determining factor is to match the wood to an African tree specie.