Short Club (Wahaika)

Description

The wahaika, carried in a belt, was used by the Maori in hand-to-hand combat. Early, undecorated clubs were made of stone. Bone and wood clubs were decorated with increasingly complex carved designs. The small figure clinging to the side of this club may well represent the supernatural power (mana) of the weapon, while the face at the end of the grip expresses the aggression of combat.

Provenance

Harry Beasley; Harry Beasley

Short Club (Wahaika)

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mid 1800s

Accession Number

1964.455

Medium

wood

Dimensions

Overall: 35.6 cm (14 in.)

Classification

Sculpture

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

The Mary Spedding Milliken Memorial Collection, Gift of William Mathewson Milliken