Kanak Club, New Caledonia

Abraham Rosman and Paula Rubel, New York

Porowa ra maru, or "bird head" clubs of New Caledonia, are carved in the form of stylized bird heads with long, pointed beaks. While this is one theory, none of New Caledonia's native birds have similar beaks, which has led some scholars to believe that these clubs instead represent the stylized head of a sea turtle. Such objects were used by chiefs and symbolized wealth and rank. Occasionally, these items were exchanged as gifts during ceremonial gatherings.