Pentecost Island, Vanuatu
Mid-19th century or earlier
Wood
Height: 43¼ in (109.9 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Massachusetts; Sotheby's London, Lot 42, June 16, 1980; Mrs. Camila Pinto, Geneva and London
Clubs from Pentecost Island belong to a Vanuatu tradition of hardwood weapons made for use, status, and ceremonial presence, their forms shaped by the demands of handling as much as by aesthetic intent. The double-flanged head visible here is a distinctive feature of the Pentecost Island type, the broad lateral projections giving the club both visual authority and functional weight. Objects of this type passed through the London auction market during the 1970s and 1980s as European collections of Oceanic material began to be dispersed and redistributed.
The shaft tapers cleanly from head to foot, terminating in a small carved figure at the base — a detail that elevates this example beyond the standard club form and speaks to the maker's investment in the object. The wood has darkened throughout to a deep tone, the surface carrying the patina of age and sustained handling. The three-collection provenance chain, moving from Massachusetts through Sotheby's London to a Geneva and London private holding, gives the piece a clear and continuous collecting history.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Pentecost Island, Vanuatu
Mid-19th century or earlier
Wood
Height: 43¼ in (109.9 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Massachusetts; Sotheby's London, Lot 42, June 16, 1980; Mrs. Camila Pinto, Geneva and London
Clubs from Pentecost Island belong to a Vanuatu tradition of hardwood weapons made for use, status, and ceremonial presence, their forms shaped by the demands of handling as much as by aesthetic intent. The double-flanged head visible here is a distinctive feature of the Pentecost Island type, the broad lateral projections giving the club both visual authority and functional weight. Objects of this type passed through the London auction market during the 1970s and 1980s as European collections of Oceanic material began to be dispersed and redistributed.
The shaft tapers cleanly from head to foot, terminating in a small carved figure at the base — a detail that elevates this example beyond the standard club form and speaks to the maker's investment in the object. The wood has darkened throughout to a deep tone, the surface carrying the patina of age and sustained handling. The three-collection provenance chain, moving from Massachusetts through Sotheby's London to a Geneva and London private holding, gives the piece a clear and continuous collecting history.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
