Description

Wooden ball-headed fish club with narrow grip. [CAK 17/05/2010]

Longer Description

Wooden ball-headed fish club with narrow grip. Carved from a single piece of spruce wood. The end of the grip or handle has been carved with a small butt. The grip is narrow with a slightly wider point at its midsection. [CAK 17/05/2010]

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 club was viewed alongside other tools and weapons on Monday Sept 14, 2009. Gwaai Edenshaw and Christian White both believed the wood to be spruce, although Christian added that cedar or hemlock are other possibilities. Christian thought the club was carved from a thick branch. 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]

Pitt Rivers Museum label - HAIDA halibut club. QU. CHARLOTTE ID Pres. by C. Harrison. 1924. [CAK 05/05/2009]

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]