Description

Wooden ball-headed fish club with slightly narrower grip. [SM 08/08/2007]

Display History

PRM Display Label (1991 - 1995) - NORTH AMERICA, CANADA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLAND; NORTH WEST COAST, HAIDA. Halibut club with ball head used when fishing. Donated by Rev. C. Harrison, 1924.33.11 [SM 08/08/2007]

Longer Description

Wooden ball-headed fish club with slightly narrower grip. Carved from a single piece of spruce wood. The end of the grip or handle has been carved with a knob. The grip is narrow and widens slightly to form the shaft of the club. The ball end is much wider, with rounded sites and a flat end. Two large chunks have been removed from the side of the ball end, quite likely through use. [CAK 23/06/2009]

Research Notes

The following information comes from Haida delegates who worked with the museum's collection in September 2009 as part of the project “Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge”:
This fish club was viewed alongside other tools and weapons on Monday Sept 14, 2009. Christian White identified this as a fish club. He believed it was made from spruce wood, or possibly from hemlock as the club is very light in weight and also dry. He thought the club was carved from a thick branch originally. Delegates noted that halibut clubs were used to hit the fish once it was caught because they are so large and can thrash about a boat so violently that people can be thrown out of the boat or canoe. [CAK 17/05/2010]

Primary Documentation

Accession Book Entry - C. HARRISON, Esq. - Specimens collected from the HAIDA of QUEEN CHARLOTTE ID., B.C.... - [1 of] 2 old wooden halibut-clubs, ball-headed.

No additional information on catalogue cards. [JC 5 9 1996]

Written on object - Halibut club, Haida, Qu. Charlotte Id. Pres. by C. Harrison, 1924. [NM 24 2 1997]

Related Documents File - The Haida Project Related Documents File contains video of research sessions and interviews with Haida delegates from September 2009 as part of the project ‘Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge'. It also includes post-visit communications that discuss object provenance. For extensive photographic, video, and textual records documenting the Haida research visit as a whole, including but not limited to preparations of objects for handling, travel logistics, British Museum participation, transcribed notes from research sessions and associated public events held at PRM, see the Haida Project Digital Archive, stored with the Accessions Registers. Original hand-written notes taken during research sessions have been accessioned into the Manuscripts collection, in addition to select other materials. [CAK 02/06/2010]