Great Lakes Wood Ball-Headed Club

pakamagon, with notched triangular butt, pierced through for attachment of a wrist cord, finger-grooved handle, and shaft of expanding rectangular section, finely incised along one side with a pair of tipis and animals, including a thunderbird and underwater panther, a column of concentric diamond motifs along the spine, additional animal motifs depcited on the reverse, surmounted by a compressed ovoid head with firebranding; rich brown patina overall. 

Acquired from Morning Star Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

Morning Star Gallery, 1996, p. 57, color illustration

Very good condition with typical wear for age and from use.
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.

For a discussion of related ball-headed clubs identified as from the Great Lakes see Penney, et al. 1992, p. 227 and pl. 152; and Penney, ed., 1986, pp. 24-26 and fig. 5: "One of the most common weapons of the Great Lakes warrior was the ball-headed club carved from a single piece of wood...As these were functional weapons designed for hand-to-hand combat, the wood was carefully selected from that segment of a thick branch attached to a tree trunk, thus assuring that the curving form had structural strength based on the grain of the wood. Although the club was carved from a single piece of wood, the elements of handle, shaft and head are clearly articulated and differentiate the individual character of each part."