Ceremonial Club Item Number: 3194/31 a-b from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Ceremonial war club. Club stick (part a) is long and relatively straight, covered in brown canvas and red felt. Ends are wrapped with narrow strips of fur. Top has an open loop created out of fur. Along the length of the stick are three tassels of horse hair, and several areas of blue glass beading, with the occasional inclusion of some brass beads. Part b is a round, hide wrapped stone. One half of the hide covering is painted dark blue. A braided thong of leather is sewn to the seams of the hide, and attaches two large cream and brown feathers and smaller red feathers with pink beading at the quills, and black glass beads around the thong, to the stone.

Narrative

Robert Gale's grandfather (Gervase Edward Gale) was a missionary and principal of St. Paul's School at Cardston, Alberta, on the Blood Reserve, c. 1904-1910. His grandmother, Hattie May is said to have collected the Blood (Kainai) objects in MOA accessions 3194 and 3239.

Item History

What

Name
Ceremonial Club
Identification Number
3194/31 a-b
Type of Item
club
Material
wood, skin, feather, cotton fibre, horse hair, glass, brass metal, wool fibre and stone
Part A
height 78.5 cm, width 8.0 cm, depth 3.0 cm
Part B
height 46.0 cm, width 11.0 cm, depth 5.5 cm

Who

Culture
Kainai
Previous Owner
Hattie May Gale, Karen Gale and Robert Gale
Received from
Robert Gale (Donor) and Karen Gale (Donor)

Where

Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
Made in
Alberta, Canada
Collected in
Cardston, Alberta, Canada

When

Creation Date
before 1910
Collection Date
between 1904 and 1910
Ownership Date
before 1968 and before August 15, 2016
Acquisition Date
on August 15, 2016

Other

Item Classes
beadwork
Condition
good
Accession Number
3194/0031 a-b