Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

kronckew · 1st February 2016, 07:42 AM

i agree on the 'pommel' ends, the brown one looks like the end on a baseball bat, ie. the swelling is of circular x-section, while the blackened one seems to have an oblong or oval x-section. hard to tell from the small photos which, especially on black objects may be deceptive. will post them in the other place with better pics. the description does seem to show them as a bit short and heavy for actual paddles, rather than symbolic ones. i read somewhere that the fijian chiefs used very decorated paddle clubs similar in shape to the tongan caracula forms as badges of office as well as war clubs, and they could also be used as shields to deflect incoming projectiles, and were called kini kini.

1st February 2016, 07:42 AM	#3
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,150	i agree on the 'pommel' ends, the brown one looks like the end on a baseball bat, ie. the swelling is of circular x-section, while the blackened one seems to have an oblong or oval x-section. hard to tell from the small photos which, especially on black objects may be deceptive. will post them in the other place with better pics. the description does seem to show them as a bit short and heavy for actual paddles, rather than symbolic ones. i read somewhere that the fijian chiefs used very decorated paddle clubs similar in shape to the tongan caracula forms as badges of office as well as war clubs, and they could also be used as shields to deflect incoming projectiles, and were called kini kini.