Paddle Club, Pentecost Island, Vanuatu

Laurent Dodier, Le Val-Saint-Père
Abraham Rosman and Paula Rubel, New York, acquired from the above on February 7, 2012

This elegant paddle-shaped club is a rare type that, according to Felix Speiser, was found only on Pentecost Island. (Speiser, Ethnology of Vanuatu: an Early Twentieth Century Study, Honolulu, 1996, p. 207). The raised form carved on the blade and the sharp, striking edge that projects from one side of the head are characteristic of the style. Here the rippled surface of the wood lends the club an organic, leaf-like quality. Human hair is wound around the pommel, presumably to improve the grip when wielding the club.