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Object Number
970-29-70/4758
Display Title
War club ("alafolo"), the engravings at the head are stylized representations of
Descriptions
Indigenous Term
'alafolo; 'ala (sharp) folo (arcoss) (Maranda 2001:116, cf 7)
Object Description
War club ("alafolo"), the engravings at the head are stylized representations of canarium nuts (which are important ceremonially). L: 105 cm. Thickness: 8x6 cm.
Men use to carry war clubs on shoulder before knives superseded clubs (Maranda 2001:100). The two knobs on each side of the club is an woman's erect clitoris. "Supreme weapon derives its lethal power from the fact that a protruding part of female genitalia will hit a man's temple" (Maranda 2001:101). "Christian Malaitans now read the alafolo as 'a face with two noses'" (Maranda 2001:116, cf 9).
Inventory Description
Club, white pigmented curvilinear design head, flaring ridged elements, knob end
Classification
- Club
Department
Ethnographic
Culture
- Lau
Geography/Provenience/Site Name
Oceania
/
Solomon islands
/
<State>
/
Malaita Island
Additional Geographic Terms
Malaita, North; Lau Lagoon
Materials
Wood, Pigment, Mahogany
Dimensions
Overall: 104.5 x 7.4 x 5.5 cm (41 1/8 x 2 15/16 x 2 3/16 in.)
Quantity
1
Label on object
970-29-70/4758
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