MOST DESIRED OCEANIC WAR CLUBS 3: FIJI

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THESE FORMS OF CLUB SEEM TO BE TONGAN BUT DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF TONGAN SETTLEMENTS IN FIJI ARE TO BE FOUND IN CLUNIES BOOK THE DRAWINGS ARE TO BE FOUND ON PLATE 9. WITH TEXT ON PAGE 56.
PICTURES 1 AND 2 OF A CLUB WITH A BROAD FAN SHAPED HEAD PERHAPS CALLED A DUI. THE CLUB IS 28INCHES LONG.
PICTURES 3 & 4 TWO DIFFERENT FORMS OF THE TYPE.
ONE PICTURE OF AN UNUSUAL LONG FORM SAID TO BE FROM FIJI BUT NO REFERENCE OTHER THAN SALE INFO.
SEVERAL PICTURES OF THE SQUARE ENDED TONGAN FORM RANGEING FROM 31 TO 32 INCHES LONG. NO INFORMATION IN CLUNIES BOOK OTHER THAN TONGAN.

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CONTINUING THE TONGAN FORMS OF FIJI CLUBS SEEN ON PLATE 9 CLUNIES BOOK.
#1 THRU 4. A FAN SHAPED EXAMPLE, 78 X 17 CM. LONG, NOTE CARVING DESIGN IS TAVATAVA DESIGN
#5 THRU 8. MORE EXAMPLES OF THE SQUARE ENDED FORM MANY WITH TONGAN FULLY CARVED DESIGNS. NOTE PICTURE 5 ITEM AIM14702 HAS TAVATAVA DESIGN
#9 THRU 12. TONGAN FORM 1900, THREE FEET LONG, THIS EXAMPLE HAS TAVATAVA DESIGN CARVING.

THE LUG ON THE BUTT OF THESE CLUBS SOMETIMES WITH A HOLE FOR A CORD IS A TONGAN FEATURE BROUGHT TO FIJI.

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POLE CLUBS,
FIJI HAD TWO BASIC VARIETYS OF FIGHTING CLUBS THE STRAIGHT ONES SOMETIMES CALLED GADI BECAUSE THEY WERE OFTEN MADE OF GADI WOOD BUT THE WOOD WAS ALSO USED ON OTHER TYPES OF CLUBS AS WELL.
GADI, THIS WAS A STRAIGHT POLE NOT FLARED AT EITHER END THOUGH SOMETIMES TAPERING TO A SMALLER GRIP. THE GRIP IS OFTEN THE ONLY PART OF THE CLUB WITH CARVING WHICH IS USUALLY OF THE TAVA TAVA STYLE WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE MOST PREVELANT DECORATIVE DESIGN IN FIJI CLUBS. SOME OF THESE CLUBS HAVE A ROUNDED STRIKING END AND SOME HAVE A FLAT ONE. THE BUTT OF THE CLUB IS USUALLY FLAT OR SOMETIMES HAS A CONCAVE HOLE , SOME WITH INLAY.
THE OTHER FORM IS MORE LIKE A BASEBALL BAT WITH A LARGER STRIKING END AND FLAREING OUT AT THE SMALLER BUTT END BELOW THE GRIP. THIS WAS CALLED A BOWAI AOI AND WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE ORIGINATED ON TONGA WHERE IT WAS CALLED POVAI. IT WAS WIDELY USED IN FIJI AND THE FAVORITE CLUB OF RATU SERU CAKOBAU . HIS CLUB WAS MADE INTO THE MACE OF THE FIJI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. OFTEN BOTH FORMS OF POLE CLUBS ARE CALLED BOWAI BUT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE. BOTH TYPES OF CLUBS WERE OVER 100 CM. LONG. SEPARATING THEM FROM THE SHORTER CUDGLES OF SIMULAR FORM. THE FULLY CARVED POLE CLUBS WERE USUALLY TONGAN EITHER FROM TONGA OR MADE BY TONGANS IN FIJI OR SAMOA OR WHERE EVER THEY MIGHT BE. THE FIJIANS LIKED TO INLAY IVORY IN THEIR CLUBS EITHER MARINE IVORY (WHALE, ECT) OR HUMAN IVORY TEETH.
PICTURES
1. AN EXAMPLE OF TAVA TAVA DESIGN, ON A PRE 1850 CLUB BUTT.
2. 3. & 4 A BOWAI ,FULLY CARVED IN TAVA TAVA DESIGN 32 INCHES LONG AND END 7 INCHES IN CIRCUMFRENCE
5. FULLY CARVED BOWAI WITH ANOTHER FORM OF FIJI CLUB.
6 &7 CLOSER TO A GADI FORM THAN A BOWAI WITH A INTERESTING DESIGN ON THE CLUBS BUTT AND A ROUNDED TOP. 50.5 INCHES LONG
8, 9.&10 CARVING DETAIL TAVA TAVA ON POLE CLUB BUTTS
11. ROUNDED STRIKING HEAD OF BOWAI , TAVA TAVA DESIGN
12 CONCAVE BUTT END OF A PLAIN GADI CLUB

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A FEW MORE EXAMPLES MOSTLY BOWAI. THERE IS ONE PICTURE OF A GADI STRIKING END WITH IVORY INLAYS AND PICTURE 1 AND 4 THE ROUNDED END AND CARVED BUTT END OF A PLAIN GADI, THE OTHERS ARE BOWAI. ONE BOWAI HAS A MARINE IVORY ROUND INLAY SET IN THE BUTT OF THE CLUB. THE LAST TWO PICTURES ARE OF THE MACE OF THE FIJI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE ABOVE POST.

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I AM FINALLY COMING TO THE END OF FIJI LONG CLUBS AND HAVE ADDED FIJI AXES AND THEN SOME OLD PICTURES OF VARIOUS CLUB FORMS.
PICTURES
1&2. FIJI TAVO A RARE TYPE OF GATA OR SALI WITH NO SPUR OR METO. 40 INCHES LONG SEE CLUNIE PLATE 3 FIG.B , TEXT ON PAGE 53
3. UNUSUAL FORM OF GATA
4. & 5. TWO NEWLY MADE KINIKINI /CULACULA FORM OF CLUB CIRC 1960'S OR LATER.
6 & 7. ALL WOOD FIJI AX PICTURE OF TAVATAVA DESIGN ON GRIP AND AX PIC.
8. OLD PICTURE FIJI FIGHTING AXES
9. 1840 PRINT OF FIJI ITEMS
10. 1910 BOOK, PLATE FIJI WEAPONS
11. 1917 BOOK, FIJI WEAPONS PLATE
12. FIJI CLUBS VARIOUS FORMS.

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PICTURES
1,2 & 3. TWO OLD PRE-CONTACT GADI POLE CLUBS. BOTH FROM MUSEUM DEACESSIONS THRU BIG AUCTION COMPANYS. #1. EXTRA LARGE EXAMPLE WITH IVORY INLAY IN BUTT OF CLUB, 44.5INCHES LONG, 2.25IN. IN DIAMETER. #2. SMALLER CLUB WITH GOOD PATINA 41 INCHES LONG, 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER.
4, 5 & 6. GOOD OLD PRE-CONTACT ROOTSTOCK CLUB 44 INCHES LONG,1.75 INCHES IN DIA.
7, 8 & 9. FAN SHAPED FORM SEE PLATE 8 IN CLUNIE AS CLOSE AS I CAN TELL IT FITS IN WITH THE KINIKINI CHIEFS CLUBS. NEWER REPLICA 1960'S OR EARLIER PEARL SHELL INLAY. 40.5 IN. LONG 8.5 WIDE BLADE.
10 & 11. ANOTHER VARIATION FAN SHAPED FORM ALSO FITS MOST CLOSELY WITH KINIKINI FORMS AS ABOVE. 39.5 IN. LONG X 9.26 IN. WIDE
12. OLD DRAWING OF FIJI MEKEMEKE DANCE.

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PICTURES
1, 2, & 3. VERY FANCY KINIKINI CHIEFS CLUB , EXCELLENT CARVING WITH PEARL SHELL INLAY FULLY CARVED BOTH SIDES. NOT SURE OF AGE, FIJI. 40 INCHES LONG, BLADE 18.25 IN. LONG AND 8 INCHES WIDE.
4 & 5 A FORM OF CLUB THOUGHT TO HAVE ORIGINATED IN TONGA BUT SAW USE IN FIJI, CALLED TEIVAKATOGA SEE CLUNIE PLATE 9, FIGURE F. 41 INCHES LONG , BLADE 9 INCHES WIDE.
6, 7, & 8. ANOTHER TONGAN FULLY CARVED FORM OF CLUB USED IN FIJI SEE CLUNIE PLATE 9 FIGURE D. 50 INCHES LONG, BLADE 7IN. WIDE.
9, 10, 11 & 12. VARIOUS FIJI CLUBS.