Solomon Islands
Circa 1900
Hardwood, nautilus shell inlay, woven plaited fiber
Height: 40 in (101.6 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Auckland, New Zealand
Inlaid clubs from the Solomon Islands represent the intersection of weapon-making and prestige-object production, their nautilus shell inlay demanding a level of skill and material investment that placed them well above functional fighting clubs in the hierarchy of valued objects. Shell inlay across the Solomon Islands was applied to canoes, figures, and weapons as a marker of status, the white iridescent material carrying both visual and spiritual significance. Objects of this type were owned by men of standing and circulated as prestige goods through the exchange networks that connected island communities across the archipelago.
The club tapers to a fine point at the tip, the upper shaft inlaid with nautilus shell in a pattern that remains intact and clearly legible. The midsection of the shaft retains its original woven plaited fiber binding, tight and coherent after more than a century. The wood has darkened to a deep tone throughout, the inlay set flush with the surface in a manner that reflects careful and practiced workmanship.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Solomon Islands
Circa 1900
Hardwood, nautilus shell inlay, woven plaited fiber
Height: 40 in (101.6 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Auckland, New Zealand
Inlaid clubs from the Solomon Islands represent the intersection of weapon-making and prestige-object production, their nautilus shell inlay demanding a level of skill and material investment that placed them well above functional fighting clubs in the hierarchy of valued objects. Shell inlay across the Solomon Islands was applied to canoes, figures, and weapons as a marker of status, the white iridescent material carrying both visual and spiritual significance. Objects of this type were owned by men of standing and circulated as prestige goods through the exchange networks that connected island communities across the archipelago.
The club tapers to a fine point at the tip, the upper shaft inlaid with nautilus shell in a pattern that remains intact and clearly legible. The midsection of the shaft retains its original woven plaited fiber binding, tight and coherent after more than a century. The wood has darkened to a deep tone throughout, the inlay set flush with the surface in a manner that reflects careful and practiced workmanship.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
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