This item is a very old hardwood sword club from the Northern Territories This type of club is much longer than typical Aboriginal clubs. The handle end has a semicircular arc cut out leaving the end with two points. The blade has a lenticular shape with a width to thickness ratio of 4 to 5 and both sides have sharp edges. The proportions are such that it feels very comfortable in the hands and it is easy to swing through the air. The surfaces are scraped smooth and there is only small amounts of wear at the tip as shown in the photo. The wood appears to be some kind of hardwood that resembles the wood used in clubs from New Guinea and the Trobriand Islands. It might be a tropical palm species rather than from the gum trees used for most Aboriginal clubs. It was made in the 19^th Century. I purchased this club from the Barclay Gallery in 1988. The Gallery acquired it from an auction house in the U.K. in the mid 1980s. a very nice and somewhat rare example of technology from the Northern Territories.

Please note: Because of the large size of this artifact and recent changes to the rules and cost of shipping by USPS, UPS and FedEx, it may be difficult to ship this club overseas and to some regions of the USA. My standard shipping costs for small packages does not apply and I will have to determine the actual cost of shipping after this item is reserved. I will do this as soon as is practical. So sorry for the change in shipping rules for large items.