Subi; Kite shaped club with spreading pommel of lenticular section decorated with zig zag engraving. The club has a grip of tightly wound coconut fibre binding and a double wrist loop of the same.
Label: Small label adhered to the object which reads "Solomon Is. (Malayta)". There is more wrtiting underneath in pencil, but this is illegible.
Kite-Shaped War-Club, Subi, Malaita, Solomon Islands This unique club style from Malaita in the Solomon Islands can be seen to combine elements from hand weapons carved further west, and further east. Termed subi, on one hand, it has the one-handed grip and shorter length of the so called ‘sword-clubs’ produced on the islands between here and the New Guinea mainland. On the other hand, its kite shape, flared pommel, rhombus-shaped section and tightly wound binding of plaited coconut-fibre cordage prefigure various features of the club styles made in Western Polynesia far to the east. In many ways, this is typical of Solomon Islands culture, forming a bridge between the societies of New Guinea and Remote Oceania. Hardwood, coconut fibre. Late 19th Century. Provenance unknown.
fighting
