The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 20, 2025
Club (Knobkerrie)
1800s–1900s
Overall: 66 cm (26 in.)
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 2010.203
Location: 108B Southern African
Did You Know?
The term knobkerrie refers to a characteristic spherical knob of wood or head atop a cylindrical shaft.Description
Relatively short sticks historically used for hunting and fighting are customarily called knobkerries. A combination of Afrikaans and Shona words, the name refers to the characteristic spherical knob of wood (knop) or head atop a cylindrical shaft (kirri). The knobs on these were carved into a tight whorl and a compressed sphere with a central rib. Even though their basic shapes were derived from real weapons, many of these precious objects were rarely if ever used as such. Highly personal, they instead functioned as ceremonial display items or regalia, symbolizing the masculinity and prowess of their owner.- 2005Drs. Noble and Jean Endicott, New York, NY2010(Jacaranda Tribal Art Gallery, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)2010–The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Ginzberg, Marc, and Lynton Gardiner. 2000. African Forms. 1st ed. Milano, Italy, New York: Skira ; Distributed in North America and Latin America by Abbeville Pub. Group, p. 200.Petridis, Constantijn, Karel Nel, and Cleveland Museum of Art. 2011. The Art of Daily Life : Portable Objects from Southeast Africa. Cleveland, Milan, New York: Cleveland Museum of Art ; 5 Continents Editions ; Distributed in U.S. by Harry N. Abrams, p. 69, fig. 7.
- The Art of Daily Life: Portable Objects From Southeast Africa. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 17, 2011-February 26, 2012).Cleveland Museum of Art, (4/16/11-2/26/12); "The Art of Daily Life: Portable Objects from Southeast Africa" cat. no. 46
- {{cite web|title=Club (Knobkerrie)|url=false|author=|year=1800s–1900s|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2010.203