Early 20th Century Native American Plains Style Stone Head War Club Rawhide Wood 19.5" Artifact

Details

Description

A Native American Plains-style stone-headed war club, likely dating to the late 19th or early 20th century. Measuring 19.5 inches … Read more A Native American Plains-style stone-headed war club, likely dating to the late 19th or early 20th century. Measuring 19.5 inches in overall length, the club features a rounded stone head enclosed in a fitted rawhide covering, secured with hand stitching and extending down the length of a slender wooden handle.

Stone-headed war clubs were traditionally used by Native American peoples of the Great Plains, particularly during the 18th and 19th centuries. Typically constructed with a heavy stone head secured to a wooden shaft using tightly fitted rawhide, these formidable weapons were designed for close combat. Surviving historical examples are preserved in major museum collections, including the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian and Harvard's Peabody Museum.

This example exhibits a weathered, mottled brown and gray rawhide surface, irregular hand-punched stitching holes, and surviving sections of fibrous lacing around the stone head. The rawhide covering has separated extensively along the handle, revealing the underlying wooden shaft and providing a clear view of its construction.

Condition: Considerable wear and deterioration to the rawhide, including extensive loss of stitching, separation and curling along the seam, surface abrasions, discoloration, and areas of exposed wood. Please see photos for a complete assessment of condition.

Dimensions: 19.5 inches overall length. See less