Club, ball headed

Club, ball headed

Club, ball headed

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Introduction

This relative, a ball headed club, is composed of unidentified wood. Both sides of the shaft are incised with lines along edges. At the base of the shaft, seven triangles have been etched and one hole has been drilled through the shaft (potentially for strap?). The club features a six-petalled etching on the head of the club, as well as a triangular or sawtooth border along the club's head. A label is adhered to the relative with handwriting that states, "Miss Lew." Unfortunately, the origins of the ball headed club are unclear.

This relative currently resides at the National Museum of Ireland.

Name of Maker(s): Unrecorded
Maker role: Artist
Date Made or Date Range: 1800s-1850s
Description of Writing/Text

Museum label reads, "CLUB-A STICK WITH A SPHERICAL / KNOB AT ONE END, ONE OF TWO / TYPES MOST OFTEN FOUND IN / USE AMONGST THE NORTH / AMERICAN INDIANS. THIS TYPE / WAS SOMETIMES FURNISHED / WITH A SPIKE OF BONE OR IRON / INSERTED IN THE KNOB. / Given by Miss Tew. 1931.'80."

Dimensions: 55.5 × 15.5 × 0 cm
Current Location: National Museum of Ireland
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 1880.1931
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: Royal Dublin Society
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: "Given to Royal Dublin Society by Miss Tew."
Collection Narratives and Histories

"Given to Royal Dublin Society by Miss Tew."

Source for Provenance information

GRASAC research notes.

GKS Reference Number: 25364
How to Cite this Item

Maker, Name unrecorded. Club, ball headed. GRASAC ID 25364. National Museum of Ireland Collection, 1880.1931.

Record Creation Context

This record was augmented by Dana Murray on July 23, 2024. It draws on images and information from a GRASAC research trip to the National Museum of Ireland on July 22, 2010. Participants included Alan Corbiere, Ruth Phillips, Crystal Migwans, and Nicholas Stolle, who were assisted by Padraig Clancy and Emma Crosby.