Ulas? Oceanic teaser

[Tim Simmons]

One for the lurking Oceanic club collectors that sometimes contribute. Just acquired this interesting piece. 46cm long shown here with the sellers pictures. Although they show the whole thing quite well, the most interesting bits are not clear.
I thought long and hard about this piece even though it was not expensive and researched for sometime before going for it. The first thing that stands out, the bark still being on the wood which is not commonly found on most Fijian Ulas we encounter {not that Fiji is the only place or island that uses throwing clubs} secondly the emerging lenticels on the bark surface could be off-putting until I found that there are many shrub/trees that have lenticel bark in the indo-pacific. The seller mentions the mother of pearl inlay {assuming it is shell } to me from the not very clear pictures looks like Tridacna mother of pearl which I thought a good sign. The question is what do you think? especially when an artefact does not conform to a market standard {as collectors these things are a commodity} In this post I shall add more information which might or might not help seek an origin while I wait for the club to arrive to have a better look.

[Tim Simmons]

So far this is the only Fijian club of the correct appearance that seems to have the same simple geometric type form shell? inlay.

[Tim Simmons]

More food for thought. The inlay these artefacts from Palau Micronesia show a very similar form and somewhat sparse use of Tridacna shell {Leden und Uberleben im Westpazifik, Sudensee, Linden Museum Stuttgart}

If anybody can add information to the thread you are very welcome.

[Tim Simmons]

Some of the varied forms of Fijian Ulas and certainly not the be all and end all of possible forms. {Fijian Weapons & Warfare, Fergus Clunie }

[Tim Simmons]

I have this now and it is rather lovely. On close inspection it does appear to be cherry wood. As I looked closer at the inlay, the pointy bits are indeed mother of pearl however end piece in the end I think is bone. This clearly octagonal shaped looked Japanese or Chinese to me. That got me researching and the Shaku baton fits quite well. It is not the most high ranking form but still a symbol of considerable status in court or religion. At the present time I can only add a wiki link but I hope to find a lot more about this interesting baton. Here are some more photos.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaku_(ritual_baton)

[David]

Well, i am not particularly a club collector, but i do have one Fiji Ulas. I live near the town of Lunenburg, NS, which is home port to the Picton Castle, a masted tall ship that for many years did annual around the world trips, Fiji being one of their stops. They have a shop in town and sell items they have picked up along their travels.
Anyway, this club, along with a few other, was in their shop for some time and i found it attractive and finally purchased it. It is obviously new and never used, but it seems to have been made in a well-crafted and traditional manner out of a weighty hardwood. Feels great in hand with a nice top-heaviness that would help bring the top of this club down with a nice bit of extra velocity. I am not interested in collecting clubs enough to pay the price that a nice antique example of this club would cost, but feel that for a much more meager price i got a well-crafted example made in the manner that the actual antique items were. This particular style (would it be "f" on your diagram?) is a lovely bit of design and workmanship i think.

[Tim Simmons]

Thank you for your reply. I am in two minds and Fiji is still to my experience the main contender for origin as there is a prunus genus native to Fiji

http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/ur...mes:30003057-2

However there are atypical aspects that could question Fiji. Inlay of bone, shell or teeth are common but not the octagonal shape? also the bark still on the stick. Also I could see a Japanese aesthetic ? in this piece .

[AndreasM]

As a curator of Japanese art I can tell you that there are no clubs of this shape or form in East Asia and certainly not in Japan.

[Tim Simmons]

Geometric shape inlay is common but have never seen an octagon.

[Tim Simmons]

Okay I think I have solved the origin. Looking over this again I saw some white bits stuck deep inside one of the root cracks. Frist I though bits of foam packaging then insect remains then rice but with magnification they turn out to be one circular pearl shell disc bead and a broken sort of barrel shape bead. I think most unlikely to be anything else than Fijian Ulas.

[RAMBA]

It is a nice piece. Lovely rich color to it and the new discovery of the shell bits in the root is nice. I have only just ventured into the world of Fijian clubs. I recently bought a 1st edition copy of Fijian Weapons & Warfare by Fergus Clunie. There has been a proliferation of altered clubs on the market recently with new inlay intended to deceive. I don't know enough here.

I have also recently purchased this club. While it was attributed to being Samoan it has a striking resemblance to club j in Fig. 20 of Clunie's book. I'm also wondering if the wood in Sandalwood. It has a nice age and patina to it. It certainly is a throwing club for point impact. The point is rounded and flat from such use.

[Tim Simmons]

Remarkably similar to the illustration. Sure that is a weapon and the shape would make a good throwing weapon. My piece is more like a baton you could whack somebody with it like close quarter stick fighting but not really a throwing weapon. I did have a few large Fijian clubs but sold them and much of my collection. I am always on the lookout but not prepared to spend the money I used to so I am very pleased with this piece. To build another collection you realise how much work went into the first one.

[RAMBA]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

Remarkably similar to the illustration. Sure that is a weapon and the shape would make a good throwing weapon. My piece is more like a baton you could whack somebody with it like close quarter stick fighting but not really a throwing weapon. I did have a few large Fijian clubs but sold them and much of my collection. I am always on the lookout but not prepared to spend the money I used to so I am very pleased with this piece. To build another collection you realise how much work went into the first one.

I ran into a fellow collector of arms etc and we were at an auction recently. We were discussing some of the clubs and other tribal weapons and he said 40 years ago he could by them for nothing compared to today's prices.

[sabertasche]

Here's mine, it's very old - at least 15 years old! ...because that's how long I've owned it

[harvg]

Hi, I have specifically been collecting Fijian artefacts for the last 20 years. Learned a few lessons the hard way along the way....ugh. The author of this threads ula, while does look to be Fijian with some age.....the inlays are most definitely not. They look to have been crudely placed into this club to try to increase it's value, unfortunate as the club itself seems to have some merit. The dead giveaway is the whiteness, whereas antique inlays are yellowish from age. Unfortunately, recent scammers are even using aged bone/ivory to implant into clubs, to make it even harder to tell the fakes from the real thing.
The other examples of clubs with inlays that were posted in this thread, were strictly made for the tourist industry, and as long as they were not portrayed as anything but that, they can be nice works of Fijian artistry to enjoy.

Harvey

[Ian]

Harvey,

Thanks greatly for your observations and words of caution. Always good to hear from an experienced collector in this field. Pacific island artifacts have become very fashionable and it is helpful to know how to tell the old from the new.

Ian.

[Tim Simmons]

I have already suggested that this may not be Fijian. I have never known MOP to change colour with age. Your opinion has been noted and as a fairly long time collector of oceanic material you must have seen it all and know all there is to know.

[Tim Simmons]

Wanting to explore the idea that the yellowing of MOP and the style of application is a strong or even good way for self experienced collectors to be sure of authenticating the age and origin of oceanic material. The use of MOP is used extensively through out western and eastern pacific islands. Here are two examples of material from Samoa sourced from the online data base of Berlin Ethnographic Museum 9270 items and that is just a sample.

Now to my piece, when seen next to this African horn and ivory baton. I no longer think, and fairly obviously so, it is not an Ulas from Fiji. It could be from many other Islands. Alas a similar item cannot be found in a publication, bibles for collectors . So the function is open to speculation. However bâton de commandement are a global phenomenon and are most often of the size shown, again speculation. Dance and other cultural activities also involve accoutrement. Dance sticks and wands are well documented. As so much in live the big boss does not carry a big stick that is for low classes. Anyway the pictures tell a thousand words.

[Tim Simmons]

Big man stick.