Second half of the 19th century. War clubs such as this were used by the Iroquois, Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, and Abenaki. Originally for tribal war which was fundamental to the evolution of young men into warriors and the capture of enemy warriors who were enslaved or held for ransom. By the mid 19th century, they were largely replaced as war weapons by iron trade good, and became status symbols used for personal protection as needed. In the late 19th century, the form evolved further with root clusters with projections selected and carved and painted as animal and human subjects. Those are particularly associated with the Penobscot and were made for the tourist trade. This example is 20 ½” long of the early form with good root cluster head surrounding the truncated taproot. The butt with a pierced triangular stone talisman. Clean with age shrinkage.
