Artifact Number:
04777
Object:
CLUB
Newa, Pikoi
Material:
Plant (wood)
Dimensions:
L: 24.1 cm; W: 8.1 cm
Origin:
Hawaii, Hawaii, Polynesia
Comments:
Kauila wood newa bought from Kamakee near the N. Meridan Trigonometric Station in Kailua, Hawaii on June 8, 1885. Said to have been anciently used for dealing a blow on the head in secret. Never used in open combat. (Emerson) Probaby the beginning of a tabacco pipe. Length 24.1 cm, maximum width 8.1 cm, weight 567 grams. Figure 212. (Summers) Fashioned with moderate care from a gnarled and twisted piece of rootstock; design features follow curves and twists of wood grain. Apparent evidence of fire-hardening on superior offset portion of the head. The use of this implement as a weapon is highly suspect. It is badly proportioned, ill-balanced, and does not handle well as a hand-held club though it would serve admirably well as a missile. The difficulty in application of this weapon is borne out by the observations noted in the J.S. Emerson catalogue No. 37. A weapon of opportunity used to deliver an unsuspecting blow, nevertheless, this weapon is impractical as a hand-held instrument of combat. (Draeger 1977: OP 62)
Collection Name: J.S. Emerson Collection
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