History of the United States in 100 Objects -- 11: Human-Effigy War Club, ca. 1640s

--Made of Hickory wood, shells, and copper on the Atlantic coast of North America, ca. 1640s --Held in the collection of Skokloster Castle, Sweden This elaborately carved and ornamented wooden weapon was most likely ceremonial, created by a Lenape Indian artist to represent the authority of a chieftain or warrior. But how did this priceless Native American artifact end up in the collection of a castle in Sweden? This object and its journey tell a largely forgotten story of Sweden's moment of imperial glory and ambition in the mid-1600s, which left a mysterious imprint in North America. Please support this podcast in order to keep the lectures coming regularly and hear all of the History of the United States in 100 Objects -- www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632 Suggested further reading: James Nordin, "The Center of the World," Journal of Materical Culture, 2013 -- http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1032.4165&rep=rep1&type=pdf Image courtesy of Skokloster Castle.