Unusual Knobkerrie.
 

Hi,
This belongs to a friend and he has asked me to find out more re the where and the when therefore I would appreciate your assistance in helping him. There is some possible provenance as the owners great grandfather was a civilian contracted carpenter to the British Army in South Africa during the Boer War and this may be how it came into the family ownership but as you know 'family history' is sometimes rather short on accuracy. The shaft is 43 cms and the circumference of the head 29 cms and it would appear to have been varnished at some time. The decoration on the head is somewhat unusual, a mixture of nailed on metal fittings of some type. I could, if anybody needs, get physical access to the piece and take more photographs.
Regards,
Norman.

The end balls were prone to cracking in storage if you didn't keep them dressed with fat or oils. This could have been an attempt to reinforce the head to prevent cracking, or to limit existing cracks. Dried, oxidized oil could look like varnish & may even have filled some no longer apparent cracks. It of course may just have been an owner's attempt to tart it up a bit. Maybe polished, they were more impressive. Looks like the head is fairly large compared to most. The wire wrap is very 'Zulu' looking.

Hi Wayne,
As the 'decoration' is relatively symmetrical I think added bling is the most probable. I had forgotten that old oil finishes can look like varnish so that is a definite possibility. Always difficult to absolutely tag as Zulu but it does look a likely candidate.
My Regards,
Norman.

Objet trouvé bling as Norman suggests.

Hi Tim.

Yes, decorative, but maybe also useful.

Maybe, maybe :)

Another club I just missed at auction, now closed; Similar 'Zulu' bicolor wire windings, was sold as 'polynesian' but I doubt that :D

And now the surprise: