Thoughts on Fiji/Fijian Spear?

harvg · 17th May 2014, 10:01 PM

I believe this to be an authentic Fijian spear, but would appreciate any thoughts/opinions. It is 68 inches long, but was snapped (in half?), which was common with collectors in the 19th C., to accommodate shipping home. The closest ones I can find are in this page of Fergus Clunie's book Fijian Weapons and Warfare. Thanks.

harvg

VANDOO · 18th May 2014, 07:18 AM

THE BREAK ON YOUR SPEAR LOOKS LIKE OLD DAMMAGE PERHAPS CAUSED IN BATTLE, IT SHOWS A LOT OF PATINA AND AGE AT THE BREAK. MOST SUCH SPEARS PUROSELY CUT FOR TRANSPORT BACK HOME ARE CLEAN CUT AND SHORTER AND CERTIANLY WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A SPLINTERED SECTION LEFT ON THE SPEAR IF IT WAS CUT FOR SHIPPING. SO IT IS LIKELY A BATTLE FIELD PICK UP SHIPPED HOME OR COLLECT5ED AS FOUND.
THESE SPEARS ARE OFTEN DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY AS TO ISLAND WITHOUT SPECIFIC GOOD PROVENANCE AS THERE ARE MANY SIMULARITYS ON MANY ISLAND GROUPS. THE EXAMPLE I HAVE IS AROUND 7 FOOT LONG AND IS 1.5 INCH IN DIAMETER JUST UNDER THE POINT AND 1 INCH IN DIAMETER FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SHAFT. MADE OF A HEAVY DARK WOOD. IT HAS NO FIBER CORD WRAP LIKE YOUR SPEAR AND IS NOT FROM FIJI BUT IS SIMULAR TO YOUR EXAMPLE. THE PICTURES FROM CLUNNIES BOOK DO APPEAR TO HAVE FIBER WRAP ON SOME EXAMPLES AND WOULD BE GOOD EXAMPLES WITH FIJI PROVENANCE SO YOUR EXAMPLE SEEMS TO FIT THE FIJI PROFILE. A NICE EXAMPLE WITH A GOOD COMPLETE POINT.

harvg · 18th May 2014, 02:30 PM

Thanks for the info! I would love to see a pic of your spear, as comparables of this kind of spear are so far and few between.

harvg

LJ · 19th May 2014, 11:42 PM

Fiji, Samoa and Tongan weapons are sometimes hard to pin down to a particular place, and there was some movement of craftsmen between the islands even in Cook's time [he met Fijian people in Tonga]. I've seen 18th century Tongan examples with similar carved teeth to your spear, but as you say Clunie also shows examples from Fiji.

What clinches it for me as being an "old" spear is the plaited coconut-fibre sennit cord. This type of flat cord was going out of use in the Central Pacific by the mid 1800s, although I can't say for certain when it fell out of use in Fiji/Tonga/Samoa.

The question is how best to preserve this cord. It should still be pretty robust, it seems to me that it just needs to be tightened a little and then held in place. Anybody have any suggestions ?

17th May 2014, 10:01 PM	#1
harvg Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 6	Thoughts on Fiji/Fijian Spear? I believe this to be an authentic Fijian spear, but would appreciate any thoughts/opinions. It is 68 inches long, but was snapped (in half?), which was common with collectors in the 19th C., to accommodate shipping home. The closest ones I can find are in this page of Fergus Clunie's book Fijian Weapons and Warfare. Thanks. harvg Attached Images

18th May 2014, 07:18 AM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THE BREAK ON YOUR SPEAR LOOKS LIKE OLD DAMMAGE PERHAPS CAUSED IN BATTLE, IT SHOWS A LOT OF PATINA AND AGE AT THE BREAK. MOST SUCH SPEARS PUROSELY CUT FOR TRANSPORT BACK HOME ARE CLEAN CUT AND SHORTER AND CERTIANLY WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A SPLINTERED SECTION LEFT ON THE SPEAR IF IT WAS CUT FOR SHIPPING. SO IT IS LIKELY A BATTLE FIELD PICK UP SHIPPED HOME OR COLLECT5ED AS FOUND. THESE SPEARS ARE OFTEN DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY AS TO ISLAND WITHOUT SPECIFIC GOOD PROVENANCE AS THERE ARE MANY SIMULARITYS ON MANY ISLAND GROUPS. THE EXAMPLE I HAVE IS AROUND 7 FOOT LONG AND IS 1.5 INCH IN DIAMETER JUST UNDER THE POINT AND 1 INCH IN DIAMETER FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SHAFT. MADE OF A HEAVY DARK WOOD. IT HAS NO FIBER CORD WRAP LIKE YOUR SPEAR AND IS NOT FROM FIJI BUT IS SIMULAR TO YOUR EXAMPLE. THE PICTURES FROM CLUNNIES BOOK DO APPEAR TO HAVE FIBER WRAP ON SOME EXAMPLES AND WOULD BE GOOD EXAMPLES WITH FIJI PROVENANCE SO YOUR EXAMPLE SEEMS TO FIT THE FIJI PROFILE. A NICE EXAMPLE WITH A GOOD COMPLETE POINT.

18th May 2014, 02:30 PM	#3
harvg Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 6	Thanks for the info! I would love to see a pic of your spear, as comparables of this kind of spear are so far and few between. harvg

19th May 2014, 11:42 PM	#4
LJ Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 93	Fiji, Samoa and Tongan weapons are sometimes hard to pin down to a particular place, and there was some movement of craftsmen between the islands even in Cook's time [he met Fijian people in Tonga]. I've seen 18th century Tongan examples with similar carved teeth to your spear, but as you say Clunie also shows examples from Fiji. What clinches it for me as being an "old" spear is the plaited coconut-fibre sennit cord. This type of flat cord was going out of use in the Central Pacific by the mid 1800s, although I can't say for certain when it fell out of use in Fiji/Tonga/Samoa. The question is how best to preserve this cord. It should still be pretty robust, it seems to me that it just needs to be tightened a little and then held in place. Anybody have any suggestions ?