MOST DESIRED OCEANIC WAR CLUBS 3: FIJI

[Tim Simmons]

BULIKIA with masculine finished root ball.

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE VARIATIONS OF FIJI CLUBS
#1. & #2. A FIJI CLUB THE EXACT FORM IS NOT SHOWN IN CLUNNIES BOOK BUT MAY BE A FORM OF DUI I WILL HAVE TO LOOK FARTHER INTO IT.91.8 CM. LONG
#3. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE FORM SHOWN IN #1 &2
#4., #5. & #6. FIJI CULA CULA FORM WITH A UNUSUAL CURVED/ HOOKED STRIKING END.
#7. OLD BOOK PLATE SHOWING VARIOUS FORMS OF FIJI CLUBS.
#8 & #9. UNUSUAL FIJI KIAKAVO, EARLY 1900'S 98 CM. L. DOT DESIGNS
#10, #11, & #12 FIJI SALI CLUB 19 TH CENTURY 1METER 10 CM. LONG VERY WELL CARVED

[VANDOO]

PICTURES #1 THRU #4 SOME MUSEUM DISPLAY OR STORAGE IN FIJI.
#5 THRU #8. CLUBS FOR SALE IN FIJI, #10 & #11 FIJI CANNIBAL FORK WITH HANDLE IN THE SHAPE OF A ULA THROWING CLUB #12. MODERN FIJI TOURIST CLUB UNUSUAL FORM.
#9 VARIATIONS OF OLD FIJI CLUBS.

[VANDOO]

#1. OLD DRAWING FIJI WARRIOR
#2. FIJI GATA FORM CLUB
#3. FIJI GUGU CLUB 79 cm. LONG
#4. FIJI BOOK PLATE
#5. AX FROM FIJI MUSEUM
#6. OLD PICTURE OF FIJI CHIEF
#7. GRAPH SHOWING PERCENTAGES OF FIJIAN ARTIFACTS, THEY WERE VERY HEAVY INTO WEAPONS.
#8. #9. & #10 PLATES FROM FIJI BOOK
#11 & #12 FIJI SPEARS

[VANDOO]

#1. RECENT FIJI CLUB
#2. SALI CLUB
#3. OLD FIJI CULACULA CLUB
#4. RECENT FIJI KINIKINI CLUB 60 CM.
#5. & #6. FIJI GATA CLUB WITH POUNDED DESIGN TECHNIQUE
#7. FIJI GATA DESIGN DETAIL
#8. FIJI CLUB
#9. CLUB WITH INLAY
#10. CLUB FROM FIJI MUSEUM
#11. FIJI CLUB CRUDE FORM
#12. FIJI BULIBULI CLUB WITH TONGAN INFLUENCE.

[VANDOO]

#1 & #2. TWO TOTOKIA 35IN. L. 83CM.
#3. FIJI ROOTSTOCK CLUB. 43.5 INCHES LONG
#4., #5. & #6. FIJI CEREMONIAL CLUB WITH PORPOISE TEETH,CORAL AND WOOD, 32 IN. L.
#7. & #8. ULA THROWING CLUB WITH WHALE TOOTH, 16.25 IN, OR 41.3 CM.
#9. FIJI CEREMONIAL SEPTER CLUB 17 INCH L.
#10. FIJI CLUBS WALL DECOR
#11. OLD FIJI CLUBS DISPLAY
#12. NICE SALI WITH LARGE SPIKE

[VANDOO]

#1. FIJI CULACULA MODERN CLUB, 27 INCHES LONG
#2. FIJI CEREMONIAL STAFF TOP
#3. & #4. FIJI TOTOKIA WITH HUMAN FRONT TOOTH INLAY
#5. TOP OF FIJI CEREMONIAL SEPTER 17 IN. LONG
#6. , #7, & #8. MODERN FIJI SNAIL FORM CLUB
#9. OLD ROOTSTOCK CLUB WITH INTACT WRAP ON HANDLE
#10. & #11. FIJI CLUBS AND SPEARS OLDMAN COLLECTION.
#12. OLD DANCE CLUB KIAKAVO

[VANDOO]

#1, #2, #3. FIJI TOTOKIA CLUB, 37 IN. LONG
#4. PLATE FROM OLDMAN CATALOG VARIOUS CLUBS AND ADZ FIJI.
#5. OLDMAN COLLECTION TONGAN, SAMOAN AND FIJI CLUBS
#6. ROTUMA ISLAND FIJI CLUBS TONGAN INFLUENCE.
#7. OLDMAN COLLECTION FIJI BELT CLUBS AND LONG CLUBS WITH TONGAN INFLUENCE.

[VANDOO]

I AM REVISITING THIS CLUB FORM AS THE OTHERS I HAVE SEEN WERE SOUVINEERS SAID TO BE FROM AROUND THE 1950'S. THE TWO LARGE CLUBS I HAD SEEN BOTH HAD FIJI AND SUVA CARVED ON THEM AND HAD SENNET CORD WRAP AND A GOOD PATINA AS WOULD BE EXPECTED FOR 1950'S. THE SMALLER THROWING CLUB I FOUND PAIRED WITH A LARGER CLUB WAS MARKED AND PATINATED SIMULARLY. THIS FORM OF THROWING CLUB WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN RESTRICTED TO THE HIGH LANDS OF VITI LEVU FIJI'S LARGEST ISLAND WHERE ITS CAPITOL AND LARGEST CITY SUVA IS LOCATED.
I HAVE RECENTLY AQUIRED AN EXAMPLE OF THIS CLUB THAT IS OLDER AND HAS NO WRITING AND A OLD FIBER WRAP CONSISTANT WITH OLDER DANCE CLUBS. I AM GUESSING THE LARGE CLUB AND SMALLER THROWING CLUB COME FROM THE SAME GROUP AND AREA AND THIS IS A OLD FORM NOT JUST A TOURIST PIECE. OPINIONS AND INFORMATION WELCOME AS ALWAYS.
PICTURE #1. THROWING CLUB CIRCA 1950'S
#2. LARGE CLUB THAT CAME WITH IT WITH SIMULAT WRITING AND PATINA, 42 INCHES LONG LARGE AND HEAVY HARD WOOD.
#3, & #4. OLDER UNMARKED TRADITIONAL FORM 43 INCHES LONG, HEAVY HARD WOOD.

[fireiceviper]

Hi Vandoo,

I Have never seen an old club of that shape... do you have a name for it?

[VANDOO]

UNFORTUNATELY I DO NOT HAVE A NAME FOR THE LARGE CLUB.
CLUNNIES BOOK SHOWS THE SHORT CLUB ON PLATE # 20 ITEM J AND I, IT IS CALLED "ULA GASAU " AND IS A RARE FORM THOUGHT TO ORIGINATE IN THE HIGHLANDS OF VITI LEVU. IT RESEMBLES A TYPE OF THROWING DART CALLED A TIQUA DART.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO I BOUGHT A MATCHED PAIR ONE SHORT AND ONE LONG I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS FORM OF LONG CLUB IN A REFERENCE BUT HAVE SEEN 3 EXAMPLES OVER THE YEARS. I HAVE SEEN 5 OR 6 OF THE THROWING CLUBS. THE BEST I CAN DO IS ASSOCIATE THESE TWO CLUBS AS COMING FROM THE SAME GROUP AND AREA AND LIKELY HAVING SEEN TRIBAL USE AS WELL AS BEING SOLD TO TOURISTS. JUST CONJECTURE UNTIL SOMEONE COMES FORTH WITH A REFRENCE BUT AT LEAST THERE WILL BE PICTURES AND SOME INFO. HERE. THE REFRENCES AND MUSEUMS HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING. HERE IS THE DRAWING OF THE SHORT THROWING CLUB FORMS

[fireiceviper]

Hi Vandoo,

I found one of your own posts that does show something Australian and similar:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=11507

It's the only thing close in my opinion.

[VANDOO]

THE CLUB MENTIONED ABOVE WAS A AUSTRALIAN LEGEL CLUB THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT REPRESENT THE JABARU BIRD. IT IS QUITE A LOT SMALLER AND LIGHTER THAN THE FIJI CLUB BUT AS STATED ABOUT AS CLOSE AS WE HAVE SEEN.

HERE ARE A FEW MORE EXAMPLES OF FIJI CLUBS FOR THE REFERENCE.
#1 THRU #6. FIJI TOTOKIA 85 CM. LATE 1800'S
#7 THRU #8. FIJI ULA THROWING CLUB WITH NICE MARINE IVORY INLAYS,
15.5 INCHES LONG.
#9. FIJI TOTOKIA 86.4 CM. LONG
#10 & #11. MATCHED PAIR OF FIJI SALI CLUBS 106 CM. LONG

[VANDOO]

THIS TOTOKIA IS A SMALLER FASTER SIZE THAN MOST I HAVE SEEN BUT WOULD BE A LOT FASTER AND EASIER TO USE IN AN ACTUAL FIGHT. SOME OF THESE CLUBS ARE WAY TO LARGE AT THE GRIP FOR A FELLOW MY SIZE. THERE ARE FIJIANS WHO ARE LARGE ENOUGH TO USE THE LARGER CLUBS BUT I SUSPECT SMALLER ONES WERE THE NORM.
#1 THRU #4. FIJI TOTOKIA 26 INCHES LONG NATURAL FIBER WRAP GOOD HEAVY HARD WOOD
SAID TO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BACK BY A GREAT GRANDFATHER FROM HIS TRAVELS NO DATE BUT FROM THE PATINA AND WORKMANSHIP I SUSPECT SOMEWHERE AFTER WW1 PERHAPS EARLY 1930'S. ITS MINE NOW

[VANDOO]

AS THE OLD YEAR ENDS AND THE NEW BEGINS AN EXAMPLE OF THE OLD AND ONE OF THE NEW.
#1. A PICTURE OF SOME OLD FORMS OF FIJI CLUBS
#2. & #3. NEW FANTASY CLUB NO DOUBT THE WEAPON OF THE FEARED SEAHORSE WARRIORS OR JUST FOR HORSING AROUND.

#4. FIJI WARRIOR WITH AN AX

[VANDOO]

HERE ARE SOME VARIATIONS OF THE TOTOKIA WAR CLUBS HEADS AND SPIKES . THE OLDER FROMS WERE REFERRED TO AS TUKI BATTLE HAMMERS. THEY FEATURED A SHORT WIDE SPIKE OR NO SPIKE AT ALL. SEE PICTURES #1. THRU #5.
I WOULD GUESS THE SPIKE EVOLVED INTO A LONGER MORE NARROW FORM SOME WITH A SIMPLE SPIKE AND SOME THICKENED AND SHAPED AT THE TIP. SEE VARIATIONS #7. THRU #12.

#2. TUKI 18TH. CENTURY
#5. 92 CM. LONG TUKI
#8. TOTOKIA EARLY 19TH. CENTURY, 98 CM. LONG
#9. TOTOKIA CIRC 1960, 570 MM. LONG
#10. TOTOKIA WITH OVAL SHAPED HEAD AND THICKENED SPIKE 39.5 INCHES LONG
#11. CIRCA 1960'S TOTOKIA
#12. OLD PICTURE OF FIJI WARRIOR WITH TOTOKIA

[VANDOO]

PICTURE #1 & #2. ARE THE ONLY EXAMPLES OF TOTOKIA CLUBS WITH A SPIKE FASHIONED FROM A SPERM WHALE TOOTH THAT I HAVE PICTURES OF. IT BRINGS UP THE QUESTION WAS OTHER HARD MATERIALS EVER USED TO MAKE OR REPLACE A BROKEN SPIKE ON THIS FORM OF CLUB. SHELL AND BONE WOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE AND PERHAPS STONE AND LATER IRON. IS ANYONE AWARE OF SUCH VARIATIONS IN MUSEUMS?
#3. THE PICTURE IN THE POST ABOVE SHOWS WHAT MAY BE AN EXAMPLE OF THE RARE VUTU OR QUADRANGLE CLUB FORM. I HAVE MADE A CLOSE UP BUT IT IS STILL FAR FROM CERTAIN BUT IT WOULD BE COOL TO HAVE AN OLD PICTURE OF ONE. PICTURE #6 OLD VUTU CLUB FOR COMPARISON.
WHILE I AM ASKING QUESTIONS PICTURE #4 & #5. ARE OF A OLD FIJI OBJECT DESCRIBED AS A CEREMONIAL SCEPTER 17 INCHES LONG. IN MANY TRIBAL SOCIETY'S THEY HAVE USED MESSENGERS TO RUN FROM ONE KINGDOM TO ANOTHER CARYING A MESSAGE IN A STICK ONLY TO BE DELIVERED TO THE PERSON IT WAS FOR. WAS THIS METHOD EVER USED IN POLYNESIAN SOCIETY'S OR DID THEY JUST GIVE A VERBAL MESSAGE IF WRITING WAS NOT KNOWN.? IT COULD ALSO BE THE CHIEF'S FAN HANDLE.

[Houkura]

Thought I'd share one of my Fijian clubs. Nice Totokia deaccessioned from Haggerty Art Museum at Marquette University. Found at a decorators auction in Chicago several years ago.

[VANDOO]

A VERY FINE OLDER EXAMPLE WITH NICE PATINA AND CARVING. IT APPEARS TO BE OF A REASONABLE SIZE NOT ONE OF THE VERY LARGE ONES WITH A GRIP AS BIG AROUND AS THE BIG END OF A BASEBALL BAT. WHAT ARE ITS MEASUREMENTS?. THANKS FOR SHARING AND ADDING IT TO THE REFERENCE.

[Houkura]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

A VERY FINE OLDER EXAMPLE WITH NICE PATINA AND CARVING. IT APPEARS TO BE OF A REASONABLE SIZE NOT ONE OF THE VERY LARGE ONES WITH A GRIP AS BIG AROUND AS THE BIG END OF A BASEBALL BAT. WHAT ARE ITS MEASUREMENTS?. THANKS FOR SHARING AND ADDING IT TO THE REFERENCE.

It's actually pretty massive. Hard to swing (unless you are a huge Fijian warrior). I've seen bigger but yeah quite large. 90cm long, spiked head is about 17cm, spur is 11cm and handle is about 15cm circumference.

I've really enjoyed your posts here-thanks for taking the time. Lots of great information. You even have one of my clubs in one of the posts! It's a very small Culacula club that has a handle the size of an Ula handle and a small club head. I will try to find it and take a photo...it may be in my storage locker...

[fireiceviper]

Looks like a good one Houkura!

Perhaps a good idea to clean this thread (or sort) it by real and tourist? because there are a lot of fake or tourist clubs in this thread!

[kronckew]

i disagree, current production clubs that would be functional had they still been used in local wars or ceremonies are still artistic and desireable if traditionally made and carved in traditional patterns and skill are for me, OK. crudely made toys are another thing.heck, many items made in the 19c worldwide were made for those who travel, sometimes even better than modern ones. who buys them is not as important as who made them and how historically accurate are they. we do need to keep out the junk and deliberate frauds, unless so marked for education...

[VANDOO]

THIS THREAD IS DESIGNED TO ALWAYS BE A WORK IN PROGRESS, ADDING ITEMS AS WE GO ALONG SO A ORDERED INDEX WOULD HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY UPDATED. I OFTEN PLACE NEW CLUBS AND OLD CLUBS AS WELL AS VARIOUS FORMS TOGETHER AS THAT'S WHAT I HAVE ON HAND AT THE TIME. I ALWAYS TRY AND GIVE ANY AVAILABLE INFORMATION OR MY OPINION ON THE AGE OF VARIOUS EXAMPLES.
THE OBJECT OF THIS TOPIC AND MY OTHERS IS TO PRESERVE AND FORM A ROUGH REFERENCE PRESENTING AS MANY TYPES AND VARIATIONS AS I CAN FIND AS WE GO ALONG.
THE REFERENCE IS INTENDED TO BE AVAILABLE TO ALL SO FEEL FREE TO ADD TO IT OR PERHAPS TAKE PICTURES FROM IT AND ORGANIZE THEM IN ANOTHER POST ON SPECIFIC FORMS OR AGE. THE FIRST POSTS ARE SOMEWHAT ORGANIZED BY TYPE BUT AFTER THAT I TRY TO ADD ANY INTERESTING NEW INFORMATION AND EXAMPLES I FIND. TO GROW AND ADD TO THE REFERENCE BASE IS THE PURPOSE OF SUCH A POST NOT TO PRESENT AN ORDERLY ARTICLE BUT HOPEFULLY GOOD ARTICLES MAY COME FROM IT.
I KEEP HOPING A FORUM MEMBER WILL SURFACE IN FIJI AND ADD ANY PICTURES OF WHAT IS CURRENTLY BEING MADE AS WELL AS INFORMATION FROM THE MUSEUM.

[fireiceviper]

Current clubs are all made for tourists and have been for a long time now, the old culture has long gone with the advance of Christianity in Fiji.

The old clubs that where made where made following the old traditions (or use), the new clubs are made for money (and some of them not in Fiji!) without the carver (or machine) even knowing what he or she is making and why (that's why most modern clubs are so easy to spot!)(except for fakes made to fool people).

The reason why i don't consider them equal is because one is a product of the Fijian culture while the other is a product of Western capitalism. The Fiji form could be made anywhere in the world it wouldn't matter...the original culture is no more...

[VANDOO]

I RECENTLY ACQUIRED A GOOD OLD PERHAPS PRE- CONTACT EXAMPLE OF A FIJI THROWING CLUB. IT IS FOUND IN CLUNIE'S BOOK ON PAGE 62 CALLED A ULA KITU, IT IS A VERY HEAVY THROWING CLUB AND HAS NO CARVED DESIGNS BUT VERY GOOD OLD WEAR AND PATINA. THE HEAD IS SAID TO BE SHAPED LIKE A SMALL WATER POT OR COCONUT WATER CONTAINER CALLED A KITU. THE DRAWING IS ON PLATE 20 ITEM d. MY EXAMPLE IS 15 INCHES LONG

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE EXAMPLES OF FIJI CLUBS OLDER TRADITIONAL FORMS .
#1. 17.75 INCH OLDER FIJI ULA NICE CARVING AND PATINA
#2.,#3. & #4. FIJI 40 IN. GATA GOOD OLD ONE
#5.,#6. FIJI SALI CLUB 40.5 IN. OLD ONE
#7. & #8. FIJI KINI KINI ,41.25 IN. OLD ONE
#9., #10. & #11. 104 CM. LONG FIJI BULIBULI OLD ONE
#12. NICE OLD FIJI CLUB WITH EXTENSIVE MARINE IVORY INLAYS FORM SIMILAR TO THE BULIBULI CLUB ABOVE.

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE #1. A NICELY CARVED QUADRANGLE CLUB FIJI OR AFRICA ? I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH AFRICAN CLUBS SO AM GUESSING FIJI.
#2. FIJI WARRIOR WITH A CULACULA CLUB
#3. 2 CLUBS ONE WITH A FULLY WRAPPED GRIP.
#4., #5. , #6., & #7. A RECENT FIJI ART ULA NOT TRADITIONAL AND LOOKS TO HAVE BEEN STAINED BLACK. MANY FIJI ITEMS WERE MADE BY PEOPLE FROM INDIA LIVING IN FIJI AS THEY RUN MOST OF THE BUSINESSES.
#8. 39.5 INCH FIJI WAKA KIAKAVO, A OLDER EXAMPLE.

[VANDOO]

#1, #2,#3. & #4. A EXAMPLE IF ULA KITU AS DESCRIBED IN A PREVIOUS POST BUT WITH A CARVED GRIP. GOOD OLD EXAMPLE 15 INCHES LONG.
#5. , #6. & #7. A UNUSUAL SHORT FIJI SPEAR OR DART FOR THROWING. I HAVE READ OF THROWING DARTS IN SEVERAL BOOKS ABOUT DIFFERENT ISLANDS BUT THIS IS THE FIRST I'VE SEEN. THERE IS MENTION OF A TIGA DART IN CLUNIES BOOK ON PAGE 63 UNDER THE DESCRIPTION OF ULA GASAU FROM FIGURE 21. PERHAPS THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A DART. FURTHER RESEARCH OR INFORMATION NEEDED.
# 8. 1870 PICTURE OF KAI COLO, FIJI WITH ROOTSTOCK CLUB.

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE FIJI ULA SOMETIMES CALLED VITI THROWING CLUBS SOME EXAMPLES MAY ALREADY BE IN THE ARCHIVE BUT PERHAPS SOME OF THESE PICTURES WILL BE BETTER.
#1. & #2. ULA WITH LARGE INLAY TO HEAD AND BASE OF GRIP
#3. & #4. ULA OR VITI 21 IN. LONG, 53.3 CM. INLAYED
#5. FIJI ULA TE PAPA MUSEUM WELLINGTON N.Z.
#6. ULA WITH IVORY INLAY
#7. RARE ULA SOBA THE SMALL UNUSUAL ONE ,WITH A ULA TAVATAVA
#8. OLD MACE TYPE CLUB SAID TO BE FIJI, HEAVY TONGAN INFLUENCE
#9. 1990 ADD USING A FIJI ULA FOR A GOLF CLUB ADD. JUST FOR FUN
#10. HEAVILY INLAYED FIJI CLUB FROM THE MET MUSEUM IN NEW YORK
#11. FIJI SPEAR DANCE
#12. FIJI SPEAR, TIKAU

[VANDOO]

#1.SKETCH OF A TAVO, A RARE FORM OF FIJIAN GATA CLUB HAVING NO SPUR
#2. & #3. FIJIAN TAVO , 93 CM. LONG
#4. FIJIAN TAVO , 40 INCHES LONG
#5. FIJI GATA COMMON FORM WITH MOST OF FIBER WRAP ON SHAFT, 38 IN. LONG, 19TH. CENTURY
#6. FIJI ROOTSTOCK CLUB WITH INTACT FIBER WRAP ON SHAFT 19TH CENTURY, 42 IN. LONG.
#7. FIJI CULACULA 42.25 IN. LONG 19TH. CENTURY, FIBER WRAP INTACT.
#8. FIJI SNAIL FORM CLUB 38 IN. LONG
#9., #10. & #11. FIJIAN ROOTSTOCK CLUB 108 CM. LONG SOME FIBER WRAP PLACED FOR GRIP OR REINFORCEMENT.
#12. FIJI WARRIORS SUVA FIJI 1899