Oceania, New Zealand, ca. 1930s CE. A carved patu (war club), made of dark wood, with inlaid haliotis (abalone) shell forming a cross motif on one side and the eyes of Janus-faced zoomorphic motifs on the other side. The handle is also zoomorphic, shaped like a snarling creature grasping something (perhaps its own phallus) with both hands and inserting it into its mouth. Around these carvings is a dramatic, ornate relief surface covered with waves, dots, and lines. The patu is a traditional weapon form of the Maori people, who, prior to European arrival in New Zealand, fought between their tribes using hand-to-hand combat. Size: 3.7" W x 19.55" H (9.4 cm x 49.7 cm); 20" H (50.8 cm) on included custom stand.

See a Maori club of different form but carved in a similar manner at the British Museum: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=515061&partId=1&searchText=maori+patu&images=true&page=1; see a Maori statue depicting a figure wielding a patu at the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, UK: http://objects.prm.ox.ac.uk/pages/PRMUID128382.html

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#133552

Small nicks and scratches on surface commensurate with age. One shell is missing from handle inlay.