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Serrated War Club

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Serrated War Club

Artist:
Place made:Sāmoa
Culture: Samoan
Date: late- 19th-early- 20th century
Medium: Wood
Dimensions:
l. 65 in. (165.1 cm); w. 10 in. (25.4 cm)
Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of J. H. Kirkpatrick
Object number: 56.63.3
Label Text
In Samoa, where the chiefs, or "ali'I," traced their lines back to the original divine ancestors, social status depended on line of descent. The chiefs were supported by a highly structured religious system under the command of a priestly caste. It was basically impossible for a commoner to scale the ranks. The social hierarchy also included castes of artists, who worked for the high chiefs and priests, and a warrior caste, that fought the battles constantly raging between the various internal factions, as well as against early Tongan invaders.
On view
In Collection(s)


The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.



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