Club

Reference : 9245

“Waukianga headcracker in ginggiké wood with wé straw-covered handle and star-shaped tip.

Purchased from a native in the village of Nuipani (Niupani) (Tenggano district) by Régine Van den Broek d’Obreman between July 14 and 19, ¹⁹³⁵¹. This object comes from the village of Amkawilanggé.
Field sheet n°915 written during the Korrigane’s trip.

Wood, woven plant fiber, fabric
Dimensions: Height 51.5cm
Presumed date of origin: ^19th century
Rennell Island
Archipelago of the Solomon Islands

Source :

Collected by Régine Van den Broek d’Obreman in the village of Niupani
during the voyage of La Korrigane
Deposit at the Musée de l’Homme Paris Inventory no. D. 39.3.412
Hôtel Drouot, Paris, Etude de Me Maurice et Philippe Rheims. Collection océanienne du voyage de La Korrigane, December 4-5, 1961, probably part of lot no. 234
Label no. 1966
Private collection Switzerland

More details

This rare club, reproduced as no. 9 in the plate from Notes sur l’ile de Rennell , still has its wickerwork of braided plant fiber on 4/5 of the handle. The top is shaped like a 10-pointed star. The end of the grip has a slight protrusion under which the museum’s inventory numbers are inscribed.

During their stopover on the island of Rennell, Régine Van den Broek d’Obreman, accompanied by Charles (her husband), Monique de Ganay and Jean Ratisbonne, spent the night in a house in the village of ^Niupani2 and bought around a hundred different objects ^.Christian Coiffier cites in his ^book3 that “57 of these objects are in the reserves of the Musée du quai Branly. This collection from Rennell Island is one of the most important in the world”.

1- In fact, the Korrigane will arrive on Rennell on the evening of July 12 and leave on July 16 for the island of San Cristobal.

2- Charles Van Den Broek d’Obreman: Le voyage de la Korrigane. Ed Payot 1939. pp148-156

3- Christian Coiffier: Régine Van Den Broek d’Obreman, une artiste à bord de la Korrigane.
Ed Somogy 2014. Notes n°107 p167

Photo caption:
Records of prestige objects used on Rennell Island
Ink drawings.
Plate from Notes sur l’ile de Rennell by Régine van den Broek.
Paris, Bibliothèque du Musée de l’Homme (Cote: Ms MH 234)

Price: €4,800

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