Very Large Hardwood Sword Club from Trobriand Islands

Item A60


The price of this item will be reduced each week until it is sold. The current price is listed on the Oceanic Artifacts link. Instructions for ordering can be found on the How to Order web page.


This item is a very old and large sword club from the Trobriand Islands, located just east of Papua New Guinea. It was made out of a dark and very dense tropical hardwood. The handle has a narrow Lenticular cross section. The shaft tapers to a wide symmetrical head. The head also has a Lenticular cross section and there is a shallow rib running along the thickest section of the head on both sides as a structural reinforcement.

I acquired this artifact from the Barclay Gallery in 1988. Barclay Gallery acquired it from an auction house in the UK. A very fine artifact and this type of sword club is very rare. It is of a similar size and shape as the sword clubs made by the Australian Aborigines in Western North Arnhem Land.

It is in very good condition with a fine patina. There is some blunting at the tip and a shallow closed split on the handle end. None of this should affect the strength or use of this artifact.

Span = 117 cm ; Weight = 767 gm


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