Club (u'u)
18th century
Object PlaceMarquesas Islands, French Polynesia
Medium/TechniqueTamanuja wood
Dimensions139.7 x 16.51 cm (55 x 6 1/2 in.)
Credit LineGift of Rowland Burdon-Muller
Accession number69.1287
On View
Not on viewClassificationsArms and armor
Collections
Marquesan men used clubs for fighting and displayed them as symbols of prestige. They were also valued heirlooms; these examples were probably used for as long as two hundred years. Although such clubs initially look very much alike, the designs in the two relief bands below the transverse bar actually show great variety. The motifs used may have been the personal emblems of the man for whom the club was made. (See also; 1992.342)
Provenance1969, gift of Rowland Burdon-Muller (b. 1891 - d. 1980), Boston and Camden, ME, to the MFA. (Accession Date: December 4, 1969)
Artist Unidentified, Pacific Islander
