Possible tribal staff?
 

Ok what did I just win? Looks Maori to me? :shrug:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120884532366...ht_3500wt_1025

Tim or Vandoo

Any help will be appreciated ;). Could this be an African piece or something from the South Pacific Islands?

THE SPIRAL PATTERN NEAR THE TIP ELIMINATES PURE MAORI STYLE FOR ME. THE OTHER LOOKS SIMULAR TO SOME PACIFIC ISLAND CARVING I HAVE SEEN BUT THE SPIRAL AND THE OTHER ALSO REMINDS ME OF AFRICAN STAFFS I HAVE SEEN. LOOKING AT THE COLLECTION THE SELLER HAS LEADS ME TO THINK THE COLLECTOR WAS INTO EARLY AMERICAN FOLK ART ESPECIALLY CANES. THE WOOD APPEARS TO BE BLACK WALNUT AN AMERICAN WOOD AND ONE OF THE CANES PICTURED UNDER (GET MORE OF WHAT YOU WANT) IS DEFINITELY TRAMP ART FROM THE GREAT DEPRESSION ERA. LOTS OF DESPERATE MEN CARVED LOTS OF VERY NICE WOOD ITEMS DURING THAT TIME AND THEY HAD TO BE GOOD TO SELL OR TRADE ENOUGH TO EAT. FROM LOOKING AT ALL THIS INFO I SUSPECT IT TO BE OF AMERICAN ORIGIN CIRC 1930' ERA. A NICE OLD ITEM WELL WORTH THE PRICE JUDGEING FROM THE WORKMANSHIP. JUST MY OPINION :shrug:

Interesting piece and interesting origins! Thank you both for the illumination on this mystery piece.

Definately not Maori. Possible PNG or other Pacifica.

Barry
I'm not convinced that this is depression era work? The wood does not remind me of black walnut Which would be darker brown. It's got a reddish hue to it? I have seen this type of carving before but I just can't put my finger on it. For now my guess is PNG or African. Should have in hand by next week and I'll let you then. :shrug: BTW the seller states its from the 1800s and there was over 200 views and quite a number of bids from veteran ebayers?

That is a really nice stick. It is not Maori as Stu says. I notice the seller had some other very nice sticks. To my mind they are not of European or North American folk art. I have to say that they remind me of African work. To catch all I will suggest it is from either side of the great lakes areas. Also it is possible that it is from some where south of the USA thats a lot of land with plenty of African influence . I have a Central American wood sword club comming which I want to show when it arrives.

Sorry my mistake the seller did not have other sticks, just ebay. Looking again I think South America. I dont know it is just rather nice.

I vote for African. Must say I havent also seen anything like it before, but . . .the ocatgonal shape of the stick and the carved crosses I have seen before on African pieces. Also the wood does not seem to me to be of a Pacific kind (more dense; no grain visible).