Caribou-antler club
Northern Athapaskan, Ingalik?, before AD
1850
From Alaska, North
America
The club has a fitted grip of skin, and is decorated with incised geometric designs, porcupine quillwork, and beads. The geometric designs may be abstract representations of natural phenomena.
Around twenty or twenty-five of these clubs are known. They were used in the Western Subarctic by the Ahtena, Tanaina and other Northern Athapaskan-speaking groups. Sometimes they were fitted with metal points set in the projecting tine. Such weapons were used to finish off wounded game, to kill bears, and in hand-to-hand combat.
J.C.H. King, First peoples, first contacts: (London, The British Museum Press, 1999)
