837/​202

A finely carved paddle shaped war club from Fiji c. 115 cm. long with an almost oval shaft and a double edged blade c. 42 cm. long. The entire surface is carved with zig-zag lines.

Provenance: Count Werner D. Schack (1922–2004), whose family resided at the Schackenborg Castle in Southern Jutland from the mid 17th century until 1978. Count Werner D. Schack was very interested in primitive weapons from the South Seas, and the collection was built during the years following World War II until the mid sixties. He was monitoring the international markets ¿closely, and the clubs were primarily acquired at British auctions, and ¿from the antique dealer Frederick North, who ran a business in London ¿specializing in art, ancient-, and ethnographic objects. Furthermore, the count was a regular customer at the now-defunct ¿Galleri Etnografica¿, run by Mr. Laurits Sunde in the heart of Copenhagen, from where he enriched his collection with new curios on a regular basis. Over time, Count Werner D. Schack built an in-depth knowledge and an ambitious collectorship. Beyond all doubt, his collection of clubs is one of the most complete and interesting, privately owned, collections ever seen in Denmark. Up to now, the collection has been family-owned.

Condition

The point slightly damaged.

Auction

Weapons, 12 December 2012

Category
Estimate

20,000–30,000 DKK

Sold

Price realised

10,000 DKK