war clubs
Primitive striking weapons
War clubs are handheld weapons designed for striking in close combat, typically featuring a heavy head of stone, bone, or metal attached to a wooden handle.
Various cultures developed distinctive forms—the ball-headed clubs of Eastern Woodlands tribes, the mere of the Māori, the gunstock clubs shaped like rifle butts.
The museum displayed war clubs from three continents.
- bludgeonHeavy blunt weapon
- blunt forceImpact without piercing
- macuahuitlAztec obsidian-edged war club
- macesFlanged striking weapons
- cudgelThick wooden club
wooden handle · shillelagh · tomahawk · mere · morning star · weapon · hand to hand · close combat · blow · nunchaku · obsidian blades · flail · baton · carved · skull · chief · battle · mallets
- arms and armorswords, shields, helmets, daggers, axes
- ancient weaponssword, swords, shield, shields, bow
- armsguns, rifles, pistols, swords, firearms
- Pacific culturesPolynesian culture, Hawaiian culture, kava, mana, tapu
- tribal artifactstribal artifacts, ceremonial regalia, tribal jewelry, tribal patterns, woven baskets
- Samoan craftstattooing, wood carving, woven baskets, talking stick, fiber arts
war clubspeace offerings
Gifts meant to reconcile
olive branches · caduceus · plowshares · medical tools · peace pipes
war, club, warrior, warfare, clubs, warring, warlike, clubbing, warriors