James Cook’s Thunderbird club

What is it? This ceremonial yew-wood weapon – dating to the late 18th century – was made by the Nuu-cha-nulth people of the Pacific North-west Coast of Canada. Measuring 25cm in length, the club handle is decorated with black human hair and inlaid with snail-shell opercula and the teeth of sea otters. A curved steatite stone protrudes downward from the handle to form the aggressively protruding tongue of a carved figure, tapering upwards to depict the beak of a bird on the reverse side. IMAGE: British Museum. The bottom of the handle is decorated with a small owl atop a stylised double face, while Thunderbird – a legendary creature that symbolises power and strength for many o