Beaver Clan Effigy Ball Head Warclub
Beaver Effigy Ball head Warclub
Billy Logan 2023 Maple with Leather Lashing and Brass Upholstery Tacks
This is a Native American beaver clan effigy ball head warclub. This type of was used extensively by tribes throughout the Eastern Woodlands and further west. I have loosely modeled this piece from the 18th century sample displayed in museums and catalogs. The ballhead comes from a branch junction, where the branch deviates from the trunk, making a beautiful and complex grain pattern. I further enhanced the grain using the Japanese shousugiban method of burning.
18th century native American weaponry was often painted with red ochre, which was rubbed into weaponry to give protective, mystical, and spititual properties. I used a mixture of red ochre and paste wax. Since warrior's also covered their bodies, some scholars theorized natives were called the derogatory term "red men ."
With the trade from western settlers came metal adornments, such as tacks, 18 nickel tacks in this case, these were used to enhance the look of the weapons as well. Finally, the handles are finished with my signature ringbolt lashing.
I used the beaver as the effigy for this ballheaded warclub. The beaver clan is a part of the phratries who belong to water, although he has some land attributes. The beaver is seen as industrious, patient, creative, and organized, building dams to work in harmony with the environment and harnessing the ecosystem. He can warn others in his community of danger by slapping his tail against the water when aware of predators.
His teeth are strong enough to takedown large trees, and his tail can be utilized as a tool to aid dam construction.
This warclub has the beaver emerging from the handle and leaving distinct footprints behind in the mud. Last, this piece of cherry wood was harvested from a fallen tree on the Cattaraugus indian reservation last year. The beaver clan warclub is adorned with copper upholstery tacks, and copper was valued in 19th century Native American art.
