MARQUESAS ISLANDS WAR CLUB, FRENCH POLYNESIA

'u'u.

Acquired by Stuart Cary Welch in Paris, ca. 1950s-1960s

Good condition for an object of this age and type. Vertical hairline surface cracks to head, especially on one side. Wear and small chips along edges. Wear around hole at bottom for attachment of fiber strap. Dents, scratches, and abrasions from age and use throughout. Fine dark brown patina.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In 1900, Paul Gauguin observed: "In the Marquesan especially there is an unparalleled sense of decoration.  Give him a subject even of the most ungainly geometrical forms and he will succeed in keeping the whole harmonious and in leaving no displeasing or incongruous spaces.  The basis is the human body or the face, especially the face.  One is astonished to find a face where one thought there was nothing but a strange geometric figure.  Always the same thing, yet never the same thing" (Wardwell 1967: 41).

Carol S. Ivory (in Kjellgren 2005) notes: "Warfare was an integral part of Marquesan life.  Weapons included slings, spears, and war clubs made of ironwood, a heavy, dense wood the Marquesans called toa, which was also the word for "warrior."  One type of club, the 'u'u, and effective weapon in hand to hand combat, also served as a symbol of prestige for chiefs and warriors."

The present finely-carved 'u'u is of considerable age and falls into the second of Ivory's two main stylistic categories, in which the band of decoration immediately below the crossbar, which relates to Marquesan tattooing decoration, "is arranged in both horizontal and vertical axes that include ipu ["containers"] and other geometric motifs" (Kjellgren 2005: 87).  Notable also are the small faces which traverse the edges of the club just above the crossbar.