What is this?

[cpreston79]

This was given to me many years ago and has been sitting in my closet ever since. People often ask me what it is when they see it. I often tell them I think it's either a weapon or a medicine ball but I really have no idea. Not even sure if it is an original or just a replica.

I'm thinking of selling it to someone who may appreciate more than I have but I first need to figure out what the heck it is. Any ideas?

 

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[jamey]

hello, thats a neat piece how big is it.

 

[monsterrack]

It does look old and I may be wrong but is that a rib bone its made of. The head looks the cover in raw hide. The seed bead colors make me think it's not super old. Would love to see some more up close photos of it out of the case and as Jamey asked some size.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

It's obvious from the pictures that the feathers aren't that old so I would say neither is the rest of. Looks to be a modern piece of some kind to me and probably something bought at a tourist shop.

 

[cpreston79]

Thanks to everyone for the prompt replies. With your encouragement I decided to take it out of the case for the first time so I could take better photos for you to review. The handle is definitely made out of bone. I'm guessing a rib bone just as monsterrack suggested. It also measures about 18" without the feathers.

 

[GatorBoy]

Looks like it would serve a function in a ritual dance to me.
Certain aspects of it remind me of an atlatl.
I don't see a hook where there should be one but it could be just for ritual and not functional at all

 

[joshuaream]

It's a Plains Indian ball club. I have no clue if it's authentic or not, but I see a couple of things I like and a couple of things I don't.

I like the beads, the greasy yellow and red look right for the type and would match the period when brass tacks were used. A lot of them were made on thin springing sticks wrapped in leather which gave it some snap in the swing. I haven't seen one made from bone before, but that would made sense and probably work well if they used a rib bone.

The leather looks tanned vs rawhide, which is strange to me. And I've never seen one curved before, that could be storage I guess, but I've never seen it. The feathers look nicer than I'd expect, but those were often upgraded or swapped out between use or ceremony. Or they have been added later by antique dealers because a piece looked like it should have feathers. They don't particularly look like eagle feathers, but if they are you can run into some serious issues even if they are old. Double check. Stories like this happen every year or so.

Geronimo's War Bonnet Is Seized In Legal Battle - Daily Press

 

[cpreston79]

I suspect you are correct joshuaream. I received an email last night from someone who also indicated that it was likely a Plains Indian War Club. It's hard as a rock so it does seem to be built for battle. Now I just need to find someone local who might be able to determine it's authenticity. That will be the most difficult mystery to solve.

 

[JRedHorse]

What you have is a modern version of the Cheyenne Medicine bow, it is an effigy of a warriors bow but scaled down, it is a great reproduction and aged to look older than it is.

This is not a ball club as the ball is hollow and should have some "Spirit stones" with in making it a rattle.

The reason I say it is a reproduction is that it appears that black clay was used on the beads to make them look aged, the clay is brushed over the bead work so that it gets in the cracks and gives the appearance of dirt collected between the spaces over a period of time.

The "Greasy Yellow" beads were exclusively used by the Cheyenne tribes and no other plains Tribe would dear use their colors.

It more than likely is a Buffalo calf rib and the use of horse hair is a Warriors ONLY addition, so from the entire picture this would have been a gift from a Medicine man to a warrior, who ever made this had to be a native as the details are all correct.

I do not think that this is a tourist piece as NO self respecting Native would have attached the Horse hair.
From what I can see this piece in the frame would be in the ball park of $125.00 $175.00 retail.