Club

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Culture Enata (Marquesan)

Title Club (U'u)

Date 19th century

Medium Wood

Dimensions Object: 53 1/4 × 7 1/2 × 4 1/2 in. (135.3 × 19.1 × 11.4 cm)
Overall: 53 1/4 x 7 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (135.3 x 19.1 x 11.4 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 63.283

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About this Work

This Marquesas Islands club, U’u, is constructed to include a face on each side with features created from small heads. It is covered in detailed carvings of faces, eyes, and geometric patterns. The geometric patterns and radiating lines around the eyes relate to the tattoos of warriors.

Such clubs were not only weapons but were also objects of status and rank. They were extremely expensive to make and were reserved for chiefs and other warriors of high rank. These clubs were historically given the name of the first person that they killed and were passed down as heirlooms and prized as trophies.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Club | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=63.283