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21st October 2020, 08:03 PM
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#1 |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,264
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African War Club??
I just picked up this war club or at least I think it is. It is 19" long, almost 4" in diameter at the head. It has the weight and feel of a fighting club, however, the face carving would make it impractical for such.
Does anyone know what this is and where it comes from? |
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21st October 2020, 08:56 PM
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#2 |
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 412
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why not a picture of the face?
Regards Richard |
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21st October 2020, 11:08 PM
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#3 |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,264
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A club so ugly that one can not see the face..........the last picture; I'll try to take a better one.
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22nd October 2020, 01:12 AM
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#4 |
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Room 101, Glos. UK
Posts: 4,231
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My African face club discussion for comparison:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=face |
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22nd October 2020, 04:42 AM
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#5 |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,264
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I think I found my long lost brother! With the offset head, I feel mine could be patterned after a Massi Rungu Club.
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22nd October 2020, 06:50 AM
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#6 |
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Room 101, Glos. UK
Posts: 4,231
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Good possibility...
My rungu for comparison. One ebony, one from a lighter wood. Your back-of-the-head photo hints at a lighter wood, stained or fire blackened. |
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22nd October 2020, 08:54 PM
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#7 |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,264
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3 more pictures that are a little better.
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23rd October 2020, 01:43 AM
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#8 |
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EAAF Staff
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Upstate New York, USA
Posts: 938
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Lew had one of these in his collection:
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23rd October 2020, 01:11 PM
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#9 |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,264
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Interesting comparison; are we sure that mine is African?
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23rd October 2020, 03:41 PM
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#10 |
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Member
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Florence, Italy
Posts: 64
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Health to all,
of course I have no idea if it could be an object similar to that of drac2K, but I found this one, offered at an auction, defined as "This anthropomorphic Makonde sculpture is the plug of a medicine box. It would close a calabash, filled with magical substances. The face faithfully reproduces the traditional Makonde scarifications, aesthetic criteria valuing the members of the tribe." From Mozambique. This item is 24cm (about 10 inches) long. |
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23rd October 2020, 04:41 PM
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#11 |
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 412
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The pierced ears suggest there was some form of decoration, which would not be of much help if it were a club. I suspect it is a wand or sceptre, that kind of thing, or even simply a toy or doll.
Regards Richard |
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23rd October 2020, 05:32 PM
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#12 |
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: What is still UK
Posts: 5,868
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This one is bit of a beast. 55cm long the head is 15cm x 13cm a circumference of roughly 42cm, inlay with a white metal most probably aluminium. Sorry about the rubbish photo but a little sort of light and using the flash.
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24th October 2020, 02:35 PM
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#13 |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,264
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Your example, though better carved than mine, I think more closely resembles the facial features of my club; especially the ears and the nose. Do you know where it comes from?
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24th October 2020, 05:50 PM
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#14 |
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: What is still UK
Posts: 5,868
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I am not completely sure but I think it may be from the former French Gabon.
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25th October 2020, 04:52 AM
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#15 |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,264
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Awesome piece!
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25th October 2020, 09:17 AM
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#16 |
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: What is still UK
Posts: 5,868
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Thank you. It is quite impressive and because it was hidden on a shelf when I liquidated the bulk of my collection, I have it still which I am pleased about. I base the Gabon origin on the style of head and faces of Gabon relicquary box carved figures. You can see from this example.
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