A VERY ATTRACTIVE CLUB WITH LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL SHELL INLAY WORK.
IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THE CHANGES IN FORM AND DECORATION THAT HAS OCCURRED IN THESE SOLOMON ISLANDS CLUBS. FROM WHAT I HAVE OBSERVED OVER THE YEARS THE FIRST CHANGES TO THIS FORM WAS FROM KNOBS (USUALLY 4 BUT SOMETIMES MORE) TO MORE BLADE LIKE PROTRUSIONS ON THE HEAD OF THE CLUB. THE SHAFT AND GRIP WERE ROUND AND OFTEN COVERED WITH WOVEN FIBER DECORATIONS BUT NO SHELL INLAY WAS PRESENT. THE FIRST FLANGED ONE I SAW WAS CIRC. 1971 NO SHELL INLAY, IT WAS PROBABLY MADE IN THE 1960'S. THE FIRST TIME I SAW REFERENCE TO RENNEL ISLAND WAS ON EBAY IN THE LATE 1990'S I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS EXAMPLES ON EBAY SINCE.
TODAY'S EXAMPLES HAVE LOTS OF FLANGES TO THE HEAD AND FLAT SIDES TO THE SHAFT WITH A SHORT LITTLE ROUND GRIP. THESE FLAT SPOTS ARE THERE TO FACILITATE THE SHELL INLAY WORK. MARKETING AND CEREMONIAL USE ARE WELL DEMONSTRATED HERE AS CEREMONIAL USE DOES NOT NEED TO BE A COMFORTABLE FUNCTIONAL WEAPON AND SHELL INLAY SELLS AND THE MORE THE BETTER. THE MARKETING DOES WORK ON ME AS I FIND THESE CLUBS AND INLAY VERY ATTRACTIVE.
