Stone club.

[VANDOO]

A VERY INTERESTING ITEM AND IT DOES SHOW AGE. I WOULD ALSO AGREEE THAT THE STONE WAS SELCETED FOR USE WITH LITTLE MODIFICATION BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT HAD SIGNIFICENCE PERHAPS SEEN TO REPRESENT A POWERFUL ANIMAL TOTUM. I DOUBT THAT THE WORD TOTUM WOULD HAVE BEEN USED WHERE THIS WAS MADE BUT IT CONVEYS THE MEANING. THE SHAPES OF NATURAL ROCKS WERE CONSIDERED IMPORTANT TO MANY TRIBAL PEOPLES OVER THE WORLD. THE KUMBAINGERI ABORIGINALS IN N.S.W. MACLEAY RIVER AREA ASSOCIATED SHAPED STONES WITH TRIBAL MYTHS AND STORYS. I HAVE HAD NO LUCK GETTING A EXAMPLE OF A AUSTRALIAN AXE FOR INSPECTION AS I ALWAYS GET OUTBID AND I THINK PRICES HAVE NOW BEEN PUSHED UP ABOVE MY PRICE RANGE.
FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THEY USUALLY HAVE SOME NATURAL GUM RESIN ADHESIVE ON AUSTRALIAN EXAMPLES SO IF THAT IS PRESENT IT WOULD HELP PIN IT DOWN AT LEAST TO AUSTRALIA OR WHERE GUM TREES OR PRESENT WHICH STILL LEAVES A VERY LARGE AREA WITH MANY DIFFERENT TRIBES AND CUSTOMS. I AM ASSUMING THAT THE GUM COMES FROM ONE OF THE TYPES OF EUCULIPTUS TREES PRESENT IN THE AREA BUT NO LONGER REMBER WHERE I READ OR CAME UP WITH THAT BELIEF

THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY IT MAY HAVE BEEN MADE BY SOMEONE FOR FUN USING OLD METHODS AND MATERIALS. THE BOY SCOUTS HAVE BOOKS WHICH GIVE DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO USLE OLD TRIBAL MATERIALS AND METHODS TO MAKE TOOLS AND WEAPONS WHILE THEY STUDY THE HISTORY AND BELIEFS OF THOSE TIMES AND TRIBES HERE IN THE USA. PERHAPS THAT HAS BEEN DONE AS WELL IN AUSTRALIA AND OF COURSE THE TRIBES HAVE MADE SOUVINEERS FOR QUITE A LONG TIME NOW SO THERE ARE EVEN VERY OLD EXAMPLES OF SOUVINEERS SOME OF WHICH ARE QUITE COLLECTABLE.

THERE IS A GOOD BASIC BOOK " AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL STONE IMPLEMENTS" BY F. D. McCARTHY IT IS NOT A COFFEE TABLE BOOK WITH PRETTY PICTURES BUT HAS GOOD DRAWING AND LOTS OF GOOD INFORMATION AND I THINK IS NOT AN EXPENSIVE BOOK. REGARDLESS OF THE ORIGIN OF YOUR CLUB I DO LIKE IT A LOT AND AM SURE I WOULD APPRECIATE IT BETTER IF I HAD IT IN HAND. I THINK IT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A LIZZARD OR THAT SMALL BUG EYED FISH THAT COMES OUT ON LAND THE MUDSKIPPER, PERHAPS ONE EYE HAS BEEN KNOCKED OFF WITH USE. NICE FIND

[VANDOO]

I WILL TRY TO SEND A FEW PICTURES IF THEY GO THRU. ALL THREE ARE SAID TO BE AUSTRALIAN.

[Tim Simmons]

Scouting for boys, don't make me laugh .
I like those Aus aboriginal clubs and axes. There is no gum on my club. I do not think it is possible to really understand it unless it is in your hand. It is a mans weapon and I would imagine a Mr Big type fellow. You must have big scouts in the USA.

[inveterate]

Andrew, the "Gum" is from the Spinifix plant, a grass, and is Resin. Cheers Rod

[VANDOO]

ITS GOOD TO KNOW WHAT THE GUM IS MADE OF I KNEW SPINIFEX WAS A GRASS BUT HAD NO IDEA YOU COULD GET RESIN FROM IT. I HAD HEARD SOME TREES CALLED GUM TREES SO I GUESS I GOT THE WRONG IDEA FROM ASSOCIATION. OH WELL I NEVER CLAIM TO BE ALL KNOWING OR PERFECT AND WOULD NEVER SAY ANYTHING AT ALL IF I WAS WORRIED ABOUT BEING WRONG.

I AM NOT SUGGESTING THE CLUB BEING DISCUSSED IS A BOY SCOUT PROJECT. BUT THE BOWS ,CLUBS, LANCES, SLINGS,SPEARS AND OTHER THINGS WE MADE IN THE SCOUTS WERE MADE OF THE PROPER MATERIALS USING THE OLD TRIBAL TECKNIQUES AND WERE ALL WORKING WEAPONS WITH THE APPROPRIATE DECORATIONS AND MARKINGS. BEING YOUNG BOYS OF COURSE WE USED THEM ROUGHLY UNTIL MOST WERE DAMMAGED OR DESTROYED THERE WERE A FEW INJURYS A BROKEN COLLAR BONE WAS THE MOST SERIOUS IN OUR TROOP. WE EVEN MADE OUR PAINTS USING NATURAL PIGMENTS IF I STILL HAD MINE THEY WOULD BE ABOUT 50 YEARS OLD NOW.
I HAVE SEEN SOME OF THOSE ITEMS OVER THE YEARS IN GARAGE SALES AND A FEW I SUSPECT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THAT PURPOSE ON EBAY ALONG WITH THE MANY REPLICA AND SOUVINEER AMERICAN TRIBAL ITEMS. SO I THINK IT IS GOOD INFORMATION FOR COLLECTORS TO HAVE AS IT IS JUST ONE OF THE MANY FACETS OF HOME MADE ITEMS TO BE FOUND, THERE MAY EVEN BE THOSE WHO SPECIALIZE IN COLLECTING SUCH ITEMS.

[fearn]

Thanks for the votes of confidence, Tim and Vandoo.

I was googling around to see what I could find in the way of information on Torres Strait Island clubs, and all I found was an article that says that there was a steady trade in club heads between the islands and the southern coast of PNG. The heads here (as I recall) disk shaped with a hole in them, and were made out of good stone. The name of these clubs was something like gabagaba. No pictures, unfortunately, but I'm guessing it's the kind of club mentioned in Stone's Glossary.

Anyway, that's not what we have here. I'm sticking with my original guess.

0.02 cents,

F

[Tim Simmons]

Again I feel there is room here for you to lend substance to your thinking with related information and illustration. I can extend the area of investigation throughout Melanesia, Micronesia and find many forms of weapon, wood and stone that in ways relate to the piece in question. The likeness to Biro-Biro totems {how extensive is this and other cassowary cults?} and weapons that were clearly based on this concept plus the fact that flint was a trade commodity in Melanesia and beyond through the Torres Straits is quite weighty. With the absents of field research and time to access collections in various cities I have in the very least tried to present a reasoned and informed opinion. Can you elaborate on your indication that flint nodule clubs were not made? I will keep this in mind and in the coming few months find time to visit the British Museum, and the Brighton museum where there is a good permanent display of Melanesian artifacts to do more research on the matter. I would find it hard to claim anything ardently without having the opportunity to handle the item. It will only be a matter of time before more conclusive evidence emerges like in an earlier discussion.