Club (u'u)

Label TextA Marquesan club is a weapon to lean on for physical and spiritual support. Its rounded top provided a saddle which the warrior could place under his armpit when at rest. In warfare, the top of the club is configured as a head that can wield quite a blow. On the head, eyes and faces mix together in high and low relief, and lend the sacred power and protection of ancestors to the club and to the warrior who carries it. After being carved, clubs were buried in taro fields so the soil could darken the wood and produce a deep color, with a final polish of coconut oil to add luster.

Object number58.137

ProvenanceMathias Komor, New York, to SAM 1958, Eugene Fuller Collection

Photo CreditPhoto: Elizabeth Mann

Credit LineEugene Fuller Memorial Collection

Dimensions55 1/4 × 7 × 4 3/4in. (140.3 × 17.8 × 12.1cm)

MediumWood