Iron club is a close-combat weapon with a heavy lump of metal attached at the tip of a short stick in order that one could strike an opponent with maximum impact. The lump was made in various types such as globular or bumpy shape that was either fixed at the head of the club or chained to the tip of the handle. Although iron clubs could assert relatively larger impact than swords, they were not as widely used as they were slow in speed.

This pair of iron clubs seems to have been produced for ceremonial purposes only as reflected in the dense silver inlay of fine flower patterns and dokkaebi face motifs. A dokkaebi is a spiritual creature in Korea similar to goblins which symbolizes a powerful being who is capable of preventing all malevolent forces that cause disaster and illness. For this reason decorative patterns and motifs featuring dokkaebi were often used on roof-tiles and door-knobs.