THE FIRST CLUBS DESCRIBED AS MASSIM I EVER SAW WERE THE LARGE ONES WITH THE BLUNT END TO THE BLADE SUCH AS TIM AND KRONCKEW SHOW. THE OLDER ONES WERE USUALLY CARVED IN A PATTERN SIMILAR TO THE ONE SHOWN WITH THE LIME INLAY. THE SMALL THIN MORE SWORD LIKE ONES MAY HAVE BEEN AROUND LONGER BUT I DIDN'T START SEEING THEM UNTIL AROUND 25 TO 30 YEARS AGO.
THE MASSIM PEOPLE HAVE LONG BEEN CONSIDERED EXCELLENT WOOD CARVERS AND HAVE SEVERAL TYPICAL DESIGNS THAT HELP IDENTIFY THEIR CARVINGS. ONE ITEM THAT IS WIDELY COLLECTED FROM THE MASSIM ARE LIME SPATULAS SOME OF WHICH ARE VERY ORNATE AND WELL CARVED.
THE CARVING ON THE FIRST CLUB IN THIS POST IS NOT UP TO MASSIM CARVING STANDARDS, THE PATTERNS ARE RANDOM AND NOT SHARPLY OR WELL CARVED. PERHAPS A AMATEUR CARVER OR NON-MASSIM CARVER ?. OR HAVING ACCESS TO NO GOOD SHARP CARVING TOOLS COULD HAVE BROUGHT ABOUT THIS RESULT.? IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY THE MASSIM HAVE HAD ACCESS TO OBSIDIAN IN PRE-CONTACT TIMES , WHICH MAY EXPLAIN THEIR SUPERIOR CARVINGS.
AS TO THESE BEING DANCE CLUBS,
TODAY ALL CLUBS ARE DANCE CLUBS EVEN THOSE USED IN GOLF WHERE THE VICTORY AND TANTRUM DANCE CAN SOMETIMES BE SEEN.
BUT IN THE PAST THESE CLUBS WERE FOR WAR AS WELL AS DANCE. HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF VARIATIONS OF MASSIM CLUBS.
#1 AND #2. , 40.5 INCH MASSIM SWORD FORM CLUB
#3. ONE WIDE BLUNT FORM AND TWO SMALLER POINTED FORMS.
#4, #5. & #6. MASSIM SWORD CLUB 56 CM. LONG
#7 & #8. 33.5 INCH LONG MASSIM CLUB
#9. 23 IN. MASSIM CLUB
#10, #11, & #12. 44.5 CM. LONG MASSIM CLUB.