Massim "sword club"

Jim McDougall · 30th October 2015, 08:11 PM

Hi Colin,
This is an intriguing item, and your observations and thoughts very interesting . While far from any area I have studied, I like the way you present ideas, and wanted to join in with what I could find.

I remembered a reference I have, but not presently with me, and luckily found it online.

" Weapons and Implements of Savage Races: Australasia, Oceania and Africa"
Lt Col. L.A.D.Montague, London, 1921

(the title could use some revision in todays P.C. climate

In the book I could find nothing similar to this in the section on the Massim area (old British New Guinea, southeast region), but turning to that on Australia I found a virtually identical example.

P.10, fig. 4 (4), which is from SE Australia and is a 'parrying stick' used to deflect kylie (boomerang) and spear, but also serves as a light club.
It seems most of these implement/weapons may serve as either and as required, but most items intended as clubs seem to be heavier toward business end or often angled as in Fijian examples.

The 'phallic' similarity seems to reflect influence from New Caledonian items which have 'mushroom heads' on many of them.

While it seems curious that this is captioned from Massim region, it is noted in that section that the weapons and implements of these regions are difficult to classify with considerable diffusion and outside influence. So perhaps this could be from there in some fashion influenced by these Australian examples.

Probably closer examination of either motif or type of wood etc might be more revealing. Hopefully Vandoo (the house expert on these types of esoterica) or Gav might be in on this as they have more familiarity.

30th October 2015, 08:11 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,194	Hi Colin, This is an intriguing item, and your observations and thoughts very interesting . While far from any area I have studied, I like the way you present ideas, and wanted to join in with what I could find. I remembered a reference I have, but not presently with me, and luckily found it online. " Weapons and Implements of Savage Races: Australasia, Oceania and Africa" Lt Col. L.A.D.Montague, London, 1921 (the title could use some revision in todays P.C. climate In the book I could find nothing similar to this in the section on the Massim area (old British New Guinea, southeast region), but turning to that on Australia I found a virtually identical example. P.10, fig. 4 (4), which is from SE Australia and is a 'parrying stick' used to deflect kylie (boomerang) and spear, but also serves as a light club. It seems most of these implement/weapons may serve as either and as required, but most items intended as clubs seem to be heavier toward business end or often angled as in Fijian examples. The 'phallic' similarity seems to reflect influence from New Caledonian items which have 'mushroom heads' on many of them. While it seems curious that this is captioned from Massim region, it is noted in that section that the weapons and implements of these regions are difficult to classify with considerable diffusion and outside influence. So perhaps this could be from there in some fashion influenced by these Australian examples. Probably closer examination of either motif or type of wood etc might be more revealing. Hopefully Vandoo (the house expert on these types of esoterica) or Gav might be in on this as they have more familiarity.