Materials

wood

Techniques or Format

carved from single piece of wood, stained/painted dark brown

Original and Subsequent Uses

"Carved wooden clubs in two styles are made...these are used in the social dances held from time to time during the winter. Most of these clubs are made by the Potowatomi and native tradition again tells us that it was the Potowatomi who introduced them here." (Johnson, 205).

Other Notes

Rectangular, laterally flattened handle curves and terminates in a globular head formed from a natural knot. Depressed groove 12.5cm long follows upper edge of handle from ball. Handle tapers towards hand grip with slanted butt forming an upturned point

Dimensions: 47.5 × 0 × 0 cm

Condition: depression one side of handle commencing 19.8 cm from hand grip, stain taken off handle starting 13.8 cm from proximal end probably from tape or glued label, crack in wood at proximal end, along handle and extensively on head, white deposit on head (Feb 1984). Possibly an X or a scratch on one side.

Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

Collected by John Reynolds before 1920.

Current Location: Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa, Canada

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: III-G-1446

Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 9 nNvember 1981

Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Canadian War Museum (accession no. 81/290)

Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: pre-1920

Collection Narratives and Histories

John Reynolds (1865-1924) lived and was a prominent merchant in Manitowaning, Manitoulin Island, Ontario. He ceased collecting by 1920. After his death tin 1924, the collection went to his daughter. The item was transferred to the CMC in 1981 from the Canadian War Museum. The Reynolds collection consisted primarily of war objects -swords, weapons, uniforms - and went to the War Museum, Ottawa, while aboriginal objects went to CMC.

Sources to Learn More

Brasser, Ted. "War Clubs." American Indian Tradition, 7.3 (1961): 77-83.

Peterson, Harold L. American Indian Tomahawks. Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, 1965.

Holmes, William H. "The Tomahawk." American Anthropologist, 10 (1908): 264-276.

Johnson, F. "Notes on the Ojibwa and Potawatomi of the Parry Island Reservation, Ont." Indian Notes. 6.3 (July 1929): 193-216.

GKS Reference Number: 26251