Lot 350
New Ireland PNG War Club | Full-Length Incised Clan Designs
New Ireland PNG War Club | Full-Length Incised Clan Designs
Starting Bid: $500
(0 Bids)
Papua New Guinea, early 20th century.. A tour de force of Melanesian incised carving, this long, elegantly tapering paddle club is worked across its entire face with a repeating program of stacked ancestor visages — each rendered in the characteristic New Ireland manner, with almond eyes, flared nasal passages, and flanking scrollwork, the incised lines packed tight with white lime to create a graphic, almost architectural rhythm that descends the full length of the blade. The imagery does not merely decorate the surface; it saturates it, transforming the weapon into a genealogical statement, each face a link in the chain of ancestral authority invested in its bearer. The dense hardwood has developed a fine, even dark patina across both faces, the squared handle butt and rounded tip both worn smooth with age and handling. New Ireland warriors used clubs incised with clan designs and infilled with lime pigment — objects that were simultaneously weapons, prestige markers, and portable records of lineage. A striking and unusually well-preserved example of a category rare in private collections. Custom base. Size: 36”H (91.4cm).
Provenance: Ex. Michael Hamson, CA. Ex. Frank Marsh Collection, Los Angeles.
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Item #
71610
- Condition: Matte black patina, some white discoloration near top of blade.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $749 | $25 |
| $750 | $1,499 | $50 |
| $1,500 | $2,999 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $7,499 | $250 |
| $7,500 | $14,999 | $500 |
| $15,000 + | $1,000 |