Art Gallery :: War Clubs:

Note: I only make one-of-a-kind items. No two pieces are identical. I can custom make a piece for you from a drawing, a book, or a variation of a piece on my site. I may be reached via email at toddbitler@yahoo.com.


Eagle Effigy War Club Eagle Effigy War Club With Iron Blade

An Eastern Woodlands Club:
  • Replicated from an original war club from a Canadian museum collection
  • Hand carved from a fruitwood limb that was ideal as it grew naturally to the exact shape of the original club; handle has a stress crack like the original
  • Protruding from the neck of the club is a hand forged, triangular iron blade with a medial ridge that bevels to the unsharpened edges
  • The blade is held to the handle by its tang that was driven through the handle and peened over a drilled piece of iron like the original
  • Finishing this club is an appropriately aged rawhide wrap that has been painted with red and green pigment in traditional heiroglyphic designs; at the end of the rawhide is an aged copper wire wrap
  • At the bottom of the handle is another hand carved effigy head in the form of a turtle that copies the original
  • Club resembles the aging of the original
$2350

Pierced Effigy Ball Club Pierced Effigy Ball Club

A Western Great Lakes Ball Headed Club:
  • Replicated from an original war club from the Ralph T. Coe Collection
  • Hand carved from a hardwood ash burl
  • The top of the handle directly behind the animal's head is outlined with an incised carving
  • War club features an animal holding the spiked ball in its mouth
  • The handle of the club has been pierced in front of the hand hold and is outlined by an incised line carving
  • Directly in front of the piercing is a hand hammered wide brass band as seen on the original
  • Finishing out the war club is a hand forged tapered iron spike with touchmark
  • Club resembles the aging of the original with ding marks and scratches
SOLD

If you like this piece, please contact me and I can custom make a piece for you.

Fish Effigy War Club Gunstock Style Fish Effigy War Club

A Mahican War Club:
  • Replicated from an original war club pictured in the Handbook of North American Indians
  • Hand carved from a flamed piece of sugar maple hardwood
  • Carved recessed eyes and gill plate
  • Chip carved teeth, scales and perimeter of eyes
  • Incised carving of an Indian holding the club as seen on the original
  • Hand grip is recessed and ends with a small knob
  • Hand forged iron blade as seen on the original
  • Club has been lightly stained, oiled and extensively aged
SOLD

If you like this piece, please contact me and I can custom make a piece for you.

Iron Spike Ball Club With Rawhide Wrap Iron Spike Ball Club With Rawhide Wrap

A club styled after an original 1750-1775 Sauk / Fox club:
  • Ball is made from a very dense hardwood root burl
  • Protruding from the ball is a hand forged iron spike with touchmark
  • Handle has a medial ridge running the entire length to the hand grip
  • On the top side of the handle toward the ball are a series of totem animals and hieroglyphs. On one side is a circular spiral to denote the "circle of life". Flanking this design is a beaver and a set of wavy lines representing water. On the opposite side of the club, above the ball is a hieroglyph depicting the sun. Directly behind the sun, is a large bird possibly representing a bird of prey or crow / raven. Behind the bird is a series of intersecting lines that represent lightening which was believed to be a very powerful natural occurrence.
  • Finishing out the handle is a double rawhide wrap on the grip. This wrap has a series of painted black and red hieroglyphic designs done with traditional pigments and materials.
  • This club has been aged extensively as well as the rawhide grip.
  • This burl was collected from the confluence of the Big Walnut Creek and Scioto River, South of Columbus, Ohio
SOLD

If you like this piece, please contact me and I can custom make a piece for you.

Horned Underwater Monster Club Horned Underwater Monster War Club

A club styled after an original 1750-1775 Ojibwa club:
  • Club depicts a horned underwater monster holding the ball in its mouth
  • Made from curly maple with a small amount of burl in the ball
  • Single-piece construction for durability as done on the originals
  • One side of the club features totems and heiroglyphs depicting lower world creatures consisting of a sturgeon, gar and a water bug; also on this side are line heiroglyphs depicting water
  • The other side of the club features totems and heiroglyphs depicting upper world beings consisting of a fox or wolf, beaver (which can be construed as an upper or lower world being - in this case upper, water bird (similar to a crane) and features the horned monster which holds the ball in its mouth; the monster also has a heart line running from his mouth through his body
  • Club has been aged with cut marks and scratches characteristic of many years of use; stain has been rubbed back to emulate wear patterns
  • Hand made drop includes a black raven feather, a red dyed feather and simulated bird of prey; red and black feathers are notched to signify scalps and kills taken by the club; drop also includes a hand rolled brass cone filled with red dyed deer hair and a brass cross made from a worn out salvaged kettle, both the brass cone and cross and finished off with small trade beads and aged appropriately
  • This piece of maple was collected from the lower Salt Creek region of Hocking County, Ohio (a favorite travel location for the Shawnee and Delaware to salt licks or springs in Southern Ohio)
SOLD

Please contact me for a custom request.

Trade Point Ball Club Trade Point Ball Club

A 1750's Eastern Woodlands ball club:
  • A replica of an original featured in the book, BATTLE WEAPONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION by George C. Neumann
  • Made from a hard fruitwood root burl; ball has root depressions and stress cracks like the original
  • Single-piece construction for durability
  • Club has been aged extensively which includes cut marks and scratches; stain has been rubbed back to emulate wear patterns
  • Ball is pierced with trade point (same as original)
  • This root burl was collected from a downed tree close to Tarhe Town in Fairfield County (present day Lancaster, Ohio) close to Mt. Pleasant (Standing Stone) - home of Wyandot Chief Tarhe
SOLD

Please contact me for a custom request.

 


Powhatan Paddle Club Powhatan Paddle Club

A 17th century Powhatan War Club commonly seen in the John White drawings:
  • A hand-made piece to resemble clubs commonly used by the Powahatan Indians
  • Hand carved from fruitwood
  • Club adorned with several carvings that signify animal totems and mystic beings
  • One side of the club is decorated with a thunderbird and a fox or wolf totem that represent the powers of the upper world; outlining these totems is a heart-line that intersects itself that signifies an ever-lasting life
  • The other side of the club features the powers of the underworld. These include a sturgeon and a beaver surrounded by a series of branded dots that have been painted with red ocher. These dots signify the power of stones. They are surrounded by semi-circular wave lines that represent the power of water
  • Finishing out the club is a carved serpent head with inlaid copper eyes
  • This piece of wood was collected during a canoe trip down the historic Scioto River close to present day Chillicothe, Ohio
  • Aged to represent decades of use
SOLD

Please contact me for a custom request.

 


Wolf Effigy Ball Club

An Eastern Woodlands ball club:
  • A commissioned piece replicated from an original featured in Harold L. Peterson's American Indian Tomahawks book
  • Made from curly maple hardwood in the style of a wolf
  • Hand carved and shaped from single piece of maple for strength
  • Wolf head features inlaid bone eyes
  • Recessed handle for sturdy grip; rear of the grip ends with a drilled hole for the drop or lanyard
  • Hand crafted drop consists of the following:
    Black crow feathers notched to signify deaths or kills taken by the club
    Natural white feather dyed red also notched to signify scalps taken
    Two pheasant feathers to immitate bird of prey feathers topped with two yellow white-hearts (French trade beads) and two white pound beads
    Two hand-rolled brass cones, one filled with gold and red silk ribbon and the other filled with red-dyed deer hair both finished with white pound beads
    The feather drop is attached to the club with period-correct linen twine
  • Appropriately aged and stressed to resemble original club
  • Hand made stand of curly maple with steel hand-forged legs and arm to display the club
  • Traditional stain and finish
SOLD

Please contact me for a custom request.

 



Cat Ball Club
Eastern Woodland Cat Effigy Ball Club

A cat headed ball club:
  • Hard maple handle with a root stalk ball (single piece construction for strength)
  • Bone inlaid eyes
  • Hand carved and painted gum-line and teeth
  • Hand carved finger-notched grip
  • Styled after a Mohawk club featured in Reader's Digest, Facinating Indian Heritage Book
  • Traditional stain and finish
SOLD

Please contact me for a custom request.

If you're interested in something, please contact me at: toddbitler@yahoo.com
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