War Club
CultureDakota (Eastern Sioux)
Dateca. 1840
MediumWood, native pigment, brass tacks, and iron blade
DimensionsOverall: 33 inches (83.82 cm)
Credit LineGift of Ed and Judy Benson in honor of the 75th anniversary of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Object number2008.68
On View
Not on viewGallery Location
- 208
Collections
DescriptionAngular board-like club in the shape of a stock of a gun with projecting metal blade, brass tack and paint decoration.Gallery LabelThis finely carved, classic war club purportedly belonged to Little Crow, the Dakota chief who reluctantly led his people during the Minnesota Indian War of 1862. Distinguished by its elegant proportion and richly painted surface, the club is elaborately ornamented with brass tacks that define the contours of its form and the circular motifs within. The use of war clubs continued long after the acquisition of guns because of their effectiveness in hand-to-hand fighting and the sacred associations surrounding them.
Torrence, Gaylord, ed. Continuum: North American Native Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Kansas City: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
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