Fijian club

[kronckew]

fijian club?

93cm. hardwood, was described as a 'Kiakavo ' tho it does seem to have a 'edge' on the inner curve and a functional spike. age unknown, looks fairly recent tho.

[VANDOO]

IT LOOKS TO BE OF PROPER FORM AND SIZE. IT COULD BE FROM THE 1960'S UP TO THE PRESENT. MOST LIKELY NEVER USED FOR DANCE OR CEREMONIE AND BROUGHT BACK AS A SOUVINEER JUDGING FROM THE FIBER WRAP. THE CLUBS MADE IN FIJI IN THE 1960'S HAD NICE CARVING BUT WERE OFTEN WITHOUT THE FIBER WRAP. CHECK OUT THE FORUM POST ON THE FIJI CLUBS FOR COMPARISON TO YOUR EXAMPLE AND POSITIVE ID. IT LOOKS LIKE A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE FORM.

[kronckew]

it arrived today. 93 cm. VERY heavy 1.03kg. fibre weave a bit loose. flared end is indeed wedge shaped, edge on inside of the curve, shaft x-section is set up for a two handed grip. unspecified hardwood appears to be in it's natural color.
not a 'dancing' club. this one means business...the fibre skirt seems a bit tacky & might accidentally come off permanently...

[David]

I have seen these clubs described as "Sali". I don't know how accurate that info is though. Here is a bit from one website.
"Also known as Sali or Tebetebe these clubs are similar to Gata clubs but they have wider cheeks and a more pronounced spur. They were used in the same way as a Gata with a cutting edge to snap and cut bone. There is a variety of Sali made from a lighter wood made for ceremonial dances. Sometimes misdescribed as a gunstock clubs."
The Kiakavo is described by the same website as a dance club. It has some similarities of form, but no "cutting edge".
http://www.new-guinea-tribal-art.com...ative-weapons/
AFAIK these are still produced today for tourist consumption. They do make them hefty and functional though. I used to see modern examples of these and other style clubs from the region in the Picton Castle store in their home port in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. The Picton Castle is a 3-masted tall ship that regularly sails around the world and they alway picked up such things as they sailed through the region. All very effective weapons, well carved, but new.

[kronckew]

the other one i aquired from an aussie in the UK who can't get it thru customs when he returns to oz in the near future.

bit smaller and lighter, the serrated edge has a dished in 'hollow ground' profile, the other striking edges are not flat or rounded but have a sharp tho shallow angled 'edge'. he bought it while in fiji on his way here as a defencive weapon in the 80's... fairly ornately carved of a hardwood, the main part is from the darker heartwood, tho their are streaks of the lighter sapwood showing farther from the centre of the heartwood. feels handy & weaponish. 30" and 600 grams.

[kronckew]

and another recent aquisition. billed as a gata.
24" palmwood, carved head and grip. 700 grams. heavy sucker.
well rounded edges the spike has sharp shoulders tho. flat forward side of the spike. front face of the main portion is flat, carving a bit crude with under/over runs. deep patination. some deepish scratches down the side of the spike..
slight pommel swell last half inch or so.

[kronckew]

last one (this week anyway)

bought on a whim, it looked cute.
newly made, theoretically in hawaii
18 in. 'polynesian' snail club. hawaiian hardwood (maybe)
form and fibre grip look fijian.
obviously for those who travel. it's travelling to me as i type.
this was bought from a hawaiian vendor. i saw it advertised by another vendor there as 'ipe ironwood' - they were the ones that sell new koa wood sharktooth clubs and other clubs with 'made in indonesia' stickers discussed elsewhere here that i am blue lander bought. this one looks better finished.

if it's a good weight,
might actually be a usable head cracker. the skirt has to go tho. the blowup of the grip & head suggests the colour may be the wood rather than the black stain used on the ones we'd bought. it's been varnished, but the wood showing in the unfinished grooves and thru the varnish shows a more heartwood brown color.

[VANDOO]

BEFORE YOU DISCARD ALL THE FIBER SKIRTS BE AWARE THAT MANY IF NOT ALL OF THE OLD CLUBS HAD FIBER WRAPS IN SOME CASES NOT UNLIKE THESE WHEN THEY WERE NEW. THE FIBERS, DYES AND WEAVING ARE MUCH THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL EVEN ON TODAYS MODERN REPLICAS. WE HAVE BECOME USED TO SEEING THE GOOD OLD CLUBS NAKED AND WITH JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN PATINA AND WEAR WHERE THE FIBER WRAP USED TO BE. AS A RESULT THIS NAKED LOOK HAS BECOME MORE ASTHETICALLY PLEASING TO US. SO OFTEN WE ARE PUT OFF BY THE LOOK OF MODERN CLUBS WITH THE FIBER WRAP PRESENT BUT IT DOSEN'T MATTER AS THEY ARE MODERN REPLICAS WITH OR WITHOUT THE FIBER BUT MORE ORIGINALLY COMPLETE WITH IT.

[kronckew]

OK, will keep it's clothes on then