Help identifying origin of rosewood club

Hello everyone,

I recently purchased a carved rosewood club and would love to get your thoughts on it. The piece has deep grooves along the shaft that seem to serve as finger grips, as well as notches carved just above the grip. The overall balance feels intentional rather than decorative. The wood is heavy, very dense, with a rich reddish-brown patina that suggests age.

It weighs 1.6 lbs and is just over 14" long.

I’ll attach photos for reference. Any insights—comparisons, book references, or even educated guesses—would be very welcome.

Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge.

 

Could the wood be Yew?
I think it's a tool...or alternatively, a cut-off or remnant of something else.

 

It could be yew, it has the same dramatic color change as rosewood. I don't think it was ever attached to anything else, there are no notches for a blade. I just know it seems quite old and primitive and the grip fits my hand.

 

Hey Kelly. Interesting piece.

Where did you find it, and what were the circumstances / were you told anything about it?

 

Hello, I bought this at a thrift store near Palm Springs which I know seems odd, but I have found some amazing things at these shops! People collect all their lives, move to Palm Springs to retire and when they pass their belongings often find their way to the thrift stores. That's why I thought it might be something interesting.

 

I don't know how this would work as a club, or if it is tribal.
I wonder if it could be a horn from a wood carving of an animal's head, but don't see any way in which it could be attached to a head.

 

Perhaps a pestle?


https://www.etsy.com/listing/429736...950c:2f3113256e89e60dce77f22eb7a1c1d87ce29a90

 

If it is a pestle, it was never used.

 

That's a really good idea but it doesn't fit in the hand very well that way. I tried both grips, photos here -- along with a closeup of the grip and notches above it. The notches, and the grip, are why I thought it might be a club.

 

It's interesting. I wonder whether it was made for something that was never assembled?

 

It is a curious thing. But I cannot see it being designed as a club. If it was swung with any force, your hand would slip off of the tapered end. Clubs usually have cylindrical grips, and often some sort of pommel to keep them from slipping.

 

Something that puzzles me is the contrast between those small, finely finished notches, an' the almost crudely cut-off big end. There's a bit of an anomaly in that, which would tell a lot more of the story were it known...I think.