Parrying Club, Makira (San Cristobal), Solomon Islands

American Trade, acquired from an estate in New Hampshire
Abraham Rosman and Paula Rubel, New York, acquired from the above at Farmington Fair, Farmington, Connecticut

Parrying clubs with flat, curved heads were used to deflect arrows and spears. This stylized piece is elegantly carved with a curved, sickle-shaped blade. The shape of the head of the club may have been carved to resemble a stylized bird or a sea turtle. A small, caryatid figure sits at the bottom of the handle, before terminating in a pointed tip.