MOST DESIRED OCEANIC WAR CLUBS 3: FIJI

[VANDOO]

AN INEXPENSIVE AND COMPACT WAY TO COLLECT FIJIAN CLUBS

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE FIJI CLUBS. #1. 20IN. LONG, SMALL BATON SIZE CLUB, BOWAI
#2. 21IN. LONG, SMALL BATON SIZE BOWAI
#3. 29 IN. LONG, SMALLER BATON SIZE BOWAI POLE CLUB.
#4. & #5. FIJI ULA, RECENT
#6. FIJI ULA, OLD WITH WHALE IVORY INLAY
#7. 31.2 CM. RECENT, 20TH CENTURY ULA
#8.& #9. 40 CM. L. 18TH TO EARLY 19 CENTURY, HUMAN TEETH INLAY
#10 & # 11. EXTRA LARGE FIJI ULA OLD AUCTION CATALOG.
#12. 1902 FIJI CHIEF WITH SMALL BOWAI

[VANDOO]

#1. FIJI DRUMMER
#2. OLD ROOTSTOCK CLUB SHOWING MARKS FROM OLD FIBER WRAP.
#3. OLD ROOTSTOCK CLUB WITH INSET HUMAN TEETH
#4. FIJI ROOTSTOCK WITH INLAY
#5., #6., #7. 111CM. LONG, 18TH TO EARLY 19 TH. CENTURY.
#8., #9., #10. FIJI GUGU CLUB
#11. OLD FIJI GUGU CLUB WITH FIBER WRAPINGS.
#12. OLD FIJI SPEAR.

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE CLUBS.
#1., #2, #3. FIJI CLUB 39IN. LONG, DESIGN SAID TO RESEMBLE A FURLED CANOE SAIL. SOMETIMES CALLED GATA, SOBESILA OR SALI VATUVATU.
#4., #5. FIJI CULACULA, 24IN. LONG CIRC. 1980'S.
#6. FIJI PADDLE STYLE CLUB
#7, #8, #9, #10. FIJI TOTOKIA CLUB 98CM.LONG EARLY 19TH CENTURY.
#11. FIJI GATA CLUB WITH POUNDED DESIGNS ON SIDES. THE TREE IS SHAPED AND POUNDED WHILE GROWING TO MAKE THIS FORM OF DESIGN.
#12. FIJI COIN SHOWING A ULA THROWING CLUB.

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE FIJI CLUBS.
#1., 2, & 3 , CIRC. 1960'S OR LATER 570 MM. LONG
#4, 5,& 6. HEAVY TONGAN INFLUENCE, LIKELY CARVED IN FIJI, 37 IN. LONG, LIKELY 1960;S OR LATER WITH MARINE IVORY, BONE OR SHELL INLAY?.
#7. FIJI RECENT NICE LOOKING TOURIST WALL HANGER
#8, 9, & 10 RECENT FIJI CLUB
#11. OLD POSTCARD FIJI STAGED CLUB FIGHT.
#12. OLDER FIJI CLUB, PRE- WW2

[VANDOO]

PICTURES #1 THRU #4 REFERRED TO AS TUKI IN FIJIAN. THEY WERE A TYPE OF BATTLE HAMMER SOME WITH A FLAT STRIKING HEAD AND SOME WITH A SHORT BROAD SPIKE LIKE THIS EXAMPLE. THEY EVOLVED INTO THE MORE COMMON FLAMBOYANT TOTOKIA AND ARE MORE RARE. SEE CLUNNIE'S BOOK FIG .#5 AND TEXT ON PAGE 54. THIS OLDER EXAMPLE DOES SHOW WEAR AND PATINA CONSISTENT WITH USE. 36.5 INCHES LONG
#5 THRU #8 IS A FORM USED IN FIJI BUT THOUGHT TO HAVE COME FROM TONGA AND OFTEN SHOWS STRONG TONGAN INFLUENCE. IN FIJI IT WAS CALLED TEIVAKATONGA SEE PAGE 56 AND FIGURE 9 IN CLUNNIE'S BOOK. ITEM A AND F BEING THE CLOSEST TO THIS EXAMPLE.

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE EXAMPLES FROM FIJI FOR REFRENCE.
#1. SMALL BATON SOMETIMES REFERED TO AS A WIFE BEATING CLUB 16.75 IN.L.
#2. RECENT FIJI TOOTHED GATA DESIGN
#3. THRU #5. FIJI ULA, NOTE THIS IS THE FORM WITH THE CONCAVE CAVITY IN THE HANDLE 38 CM. LONG.
#6. 73 CM. FIJI ROOTSTOCK CLUB, UNUSUAL VARIATION WITH GOOD AGE
#7. FIJI GATA VARIATION WITH BACK SPIKES, I HAVE NOT SEEN OLD TRADITIONAL EXAMPLES OF THE FORM WITH SPIKES AND SUSPECT IT IS A RECENT DESIGN AS THIS CLUB IS RECENT.
#8. THRU #11. RECENT FIJI CLUB WITH SHELL INLAY AND TONGAN INFLUENCED DESIGNS CARVED HUMAN FIGURE, ECT..
#12. CLOSEUP OF NEW STYLIZED FIJI TOOTHED GATA CLUB

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE #1. THREE FIJI TOURIST CLUBS
#2 THRU #4 LOOKS LIKE A UNUSUAL RECENT INTERPRETATION OF A FIJI ROOTSTOCK CLUB WITH INLAY. ITS ORIGIN COULD BE FIJI OR MOST ANYWHERE
#5 & #6. RECENT FIJI KINIKINI CHIEFS CLUB WITH SENNIT CORD AND FIJI TAPA WRAP. COMPLETELY CARVED TONGAN INFLUENCE.

[Kinikini]

Hi everyone, I have recently joined this forum in order to share pics of Fijian/Tongan clubs that iv'e collected over the past 30 years here in the UK. The first is a very interesting Totokia that has Musket/Pistol shot embedded in the shaft and traces of lead in other areas. The "beak" had previously had a native repair using a wooden dowel that is still in place. Most of the club appears to be stained with blood.The head is just over 5 inches wide and the club is 38 inches from top to bottom.

[VANDOO]

WELCOME TO THE FORUM ITS ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE ANOTHER COLLECTOR OF CLUBS, ESPECIALLY ONE WHO JOINS IN AND POSTS PICTURES
THIS EARLY CLUB IS VERY INTERESTING AND PERHAPS UNIQUE AS I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANOTHER WITH LEAD SHOT INLAYED INTO IT. IT WAS NO DOUBT ADDED BY THE WARRIOR AS EITHER PROTECTION FROM THE ENEMYS STRANGE AND FRIGHTENING WEAPONS OR TO ADD SOME OF THE THUNDERSTICKS MAGIC TO THE CLUB?
I WONDER IF BLOOD WAS EVER ADDED INTENTIONALY TO CLUBS AS A FINISH OR OLD BLOOD AQUIRED IN BATTLE NEVER CLEANED OFF? EITHER WAY IT WOULD SOON AQUIRE AN UNPLESANT SMELL AND ATTRACT FLIES TO THE HUT. SUCH A CLUB COULD BE HUNG UP AND SMOKED TO CONTROL THAT IF DESIRED. (JUST MUSING AND CONJECTURE ON MY PART AS I HAVE NOT READ ANYTHING FACTUAL REGARDING THIS PRACTICE USED ON CLUBS) I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SOME MORE OF YOUR INTERESTING CLUBS.
THANKS FOR POSTING AND ADDING VALUABLE INFORMATION TO THE REFRENCE.

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

...
#5 & #6. RECENT FIJI KINIKINI CHIEFS CLUB WITH SENNIT CORD AND FIJI TAPA WRAP. COMPLETELY CARVED TONGAN INFLUENCE.

what is the purpose of blunting & padding (and presumably weakening) the edges by wrapping them? it appears they are wrapped thru slots parallel to the edge.

[VANDOO]

I AGREE THIS OPENWORK EDGE AND CORD ON THE STRIKING EDGE OF THE CLUB HEAD WOULD MAKE FOR A LESS EFFICENT WAR CLUB. I HAVE SEEN THIS OPENWORK WRAPPED WITH SENNIT CORD ON THIS EXAMPLE AND ONE OTHER, BOTH CLUBS WERE MADE 1960'S OR LATER. ORIGINALLY THIS SORT OF LARGE CLUB (KINIKINI) WAS MORE A BADGE OF OFFICE CARRIED BY CHIEFS OR PRIESTS AT SPECIAL OCCASIONS RATHER THAN A WAR CLUB. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS SORT OF CORD AND OPENWORK EDGE WAS BASED ON A REAL TRADITIONAL OLD CLUB FORM OR A RECENTY MADE UP DESIGN.
THE USE OF TAPA CLOTH ON A CLUB HANDLE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN USED TRADITIONALLY BUT I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING ANY EXAMPLES ON OLD CLUBS. MOST OLD CLUBS ARE MISSING THE WRAP ON THE HANDLES AS IT DRYS AND BECOMES BRITTLE AND BREAKS OFF AND IS LOST. I HAVE SEEN SENNIT CORD AND WOVEN FIBERS USED TO COVER OLD CLUB HANDLES BUT NO TAPA WITH DESIGNS.
THE MODERN CLUBS MADE TODAY USING MODERN TOOLS FALL LOOSLY INTO THREE CATEGORYS. #1. GOOD FULL SIZE REPLICAS OF OLD CLUBS #2. FANTASY FORMS OFTEN BORROWING FROM OTHER CULTURES. #3. SMALL VERSIONS OF BOTH OF THE ABOVE CATEGORYS ESPECIALLY FOR TOURISTS.
THERE IS SO MUCH I DON'T KNOW BUT I TRY TO PUT DOWN WHAT LITTLE I CAN AND HOPE SOME ONE WITH MORE KNOWLEGE WILL SHOW UP WITH THE ANSWERS AND CORRECT ANY MISTAKES I MAY MAKE.

[Kinikini]

Hi Vanado, thank's for your reply, I must point out that the Musket balls have not been hammered into the shaft.....The deep crack in the shaft is the result of the musket balls hitting it at such a high velocity that they have "Mushroomed" at the moment of impact. One of the musket balls is loose and it's possible to see the way the ball has deformed as it's penetrated the shaft. The hole it's created is not man made or natural and you can see the way that the wood has "bent" in with the force of the impact rather than flush and drilled like I guess it would have been in order to intentionally "inlay" the shaft.
It's a shame that your not here to handle and inspect the club in person as I think you would agree that this club has been in a battle where the air must have been full of the sound of gunfire, with bullets flying everywhere.
Another interesting feature of the club is that in the area that it would have been gripped it's as though it has been "sprayed" with something that's stained it darker while it was being held/gripped and this has left a lighter area where the hand was gripping it. Maybe it's me reading too much into this but I still believe that the stains are caused by blood. I will post some more pic's of my clubs soon. Good Luck and Good Hunting Kinikini

[VANDOO]

I WISH I COULD BE THERE TO HANDLE THESE CLUBS TOO.
ITS NOT POSSIBLE TO TELL MUCH OR TO GET A FEEL FOR A WEAPON FROM PICTURES. BUT A PICTURE IS STILL OFTEN BETTER THAN A THOUSAND WORDS.
I ASSUMED THE LEAD WAS INLAYED BECAUSE IT WAS FLUSH WITH THE CLUB HANDLE AND THERE APPEAR TO BE LONG THIN PIECES IN THE CRACKS. SO PERHAPS THE WARRIOR SURVIVED THE BATTLE AND HAD LEAD BULLETS ON HAND TO INLAY WHERE HIS CLUB WAS STRUCK IN THE FIGHT. IF THE CLUB COULD ONLY TALK IT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING STORY. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO RUN MODERN FORENSIC TESTS ON SUCH CLUBS AS BLOOD SPLATTER COULD HELP TELL SOME STORIES. I REMEMBER IN SOME ISLANDS WHEN ONE SIDE LOST THE FIRST MAN ,IN BATTLE THAT SIDE RAN OFF, I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS FIJI FOR SURE. THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH INFORMATION AND GOOD STORIES LOST IN THE PAST ITS GOOD WE CAN PUT WHAT WE KNOW OR REMEMBER HERE SO EVERYONE WILL NOT HAVE TO START OVER AGAIN IN EACH GENERATION.

[VANDOO]

PICTURE #1, #2. & #3. FIJI BOWAI, POLE CLUB, ROUNDED STRIKING END,39.5 IN. LONG X 1.9 IN. DIAMETER.
#4 & #5. FIJI ULA THROWING CLUB, 43 CM. LONG, CIRC. 1850 TO 1899
#6.OLD FIJI PADDLE CLUB
#. 7. TWO SNAIL FORM CLUB ONE VERY RECENT AND ONE WELL CARVED OLDER ONE.
#8. FIJI CLUBS OLDMAN COLLECTION CATALOG

[VANDOO]

I FOUND A SERIES OF DRAWINGS OF FIJI CLUBS WITH THE OLD FIJIAN NAMES SO i WILL ADD THEM HERE.
1. BOVAI POLE CLUB,TYPE WITH DOMED TOP, DRAWING OF CLUB AND TOP
THE NEXT THREE ARE FORMS OF ROOTSTOCK CLUBS IT REFRES TO CLUB
HEAD SHAPE
2. WAKA FORM
3. VUNIKAU FORM
4. BULIKIA FORM
5. BULIBULI FORM THIS SHAPE RESEMBLES THE PANDANUS AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY.
6. CULACULA FORM, CRAB
7. DUI FORM, EARED
8. GUGU FORM, BUTTERFLY FISH
9. TOTOKIA, BEAKED WAR HAMMER
10. TEIVAKATOGA FORM
11. I- TUKI FORM ,OLDER FORM OF WAR HAMMER
12. TAVO FORM

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE DRAWINGS.
#1. GATA CLUB, STRAIGHT FORM, MOST OF THIS TYPE ARE CURVED.
#2. SALI CLUB FORM
#3. KIAKAVO CLUB FORM, FOR DANCE
#4. KINIKINI CLUB FORM
THROWING CLUB FORMS
#5. SEVERAL VARIOUS FORMS OF ULA CLUBS
#6. ULA DRISIA ROUND HEAD
#7. THREE VARIATIONS OF ULA KOBO FORMS
#8. ULA GASAU TWO EXAMPLES.
#9.VARIATIONS OF ULA CLUBS BOOK PLATE
#10. MORE VARIATIONS OF ULA
#11. AND #12. PICTURES OF VARIOUS ULA ONE WITH HUMAN TOOTH

[VANDOO]

12 PICTURES OF VARIOUS FIJI ULA THROWING CLUBS.

[Gehazi]

amazing thread, blown away by the art in these posts-- you have amazing collection worthy of a museum, I have always been fond of clubs but find them impossible to get -- the ones I like everyone likes !

keep it up , and please keep sharing this amazing stuff-- have nothing to offer other than admiration!

[VANDOO]

MORE EXAMPLES OF FIJI ULA THROWING CLUBS.
#1.UNUSUAL ROOTSTOCK FORM HEAD
#2. BULIBULI FORM THROWING CLUB, RESEMBLES THE PANDANUS FRUIT
#3. BALL HEAD, DRISIA , BATON FORM
#4. & #5. UNUSUAL NATURAL BURL FORM
#6 & #7. SHAPED ROOTSTOCK WITH HOLE FOR INLAY
#8. DETAIL OF CARVED HEAD
#9. BALL HEAD FORM CALLED DRISIA.
#10. HEAD WITH INLAY
#11. HANDLE INLAY
#12. HANDLES AND HEAD WITH HUMAN TOOTH INLAY

[VANDOO]

MORE FIJI ULA THROWING CLUBS

[VANDOO]

MORE EXAMPLES OF ULA THROWING CLUBS FIJI
#1 THRU #4. RARE QUADRANGLE FORM OF FIJI THROWING CLUB,SAID TO REPRESENT THE NUT OF THE VUTU TREE. THE NEWER ONE IS 37CM. LONG.
#5. #6, #7. BALL HEAD ULA CLUBS DRISIA
#8 THRU #10 VARIOUS ULA THROWING CLUBS
#11. DRAWING OF WARRIOR WITH TWO ULA AND CLUB
#12. A STRANGE FIJI CLUB SMALL SIZE BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO PLACE IT.

[VANDOO]

#1., #2.,#3.& #4., (WAWA VOTOVOTOA) TRANSLATED PRICKLY GUTS. APPROX 3.5 FEET LONG. PLATE 12 FIG. D,E & F. CLUNIE'S BOOK
#5 & #6. BOWAI WITH A UNUSUAL BUTT. 107 MM LONG
# 7 THRU #10 VARIOUS LONG FIJI BOWAI, POLE CLUBS
#11. SHORT FIJI POLE CLUB , BATON TYPE CLUB.
#12. DETAIL OF UNUSUAL CARVED DESIGN ON FIJI ULA THROWING CLUB GRIP.

[VANDOO]

MORE FIJI ROOTSTOCK CLUBS
#1., #2., #3. #4. & #5. INTERESTING CARVED CLUB 95 CM. LONG, CIRCA. 1800'S TO EARLY 1900'S
#6. & #7. 111 CM LONG CLUB WITH INLAY
#8. CLUB HEAD WITH INLAY
#9. ROOTSTOCK CLUB HEAD
#10. ROOTSTOCK CLUB, THIS SHAPE IS REFERRED TO AS BULIKIA FORM.
#11. ROOTSTOCK CLUB, THIS LONGER SHAPE REFERED TO AS VUNIKAU
FORM.
!2. ROOTSTOCK CLUBS IN MUSEUM STORAGE.

[VANDOO]

TOTOKIA VARIOUS EXAMPLES

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE #1. TOTOKIA
#2. TOTOKIA 85 CM.L. HEAD 13 CM DIA. MID 19TH. CENTURY
#3 & #4. 92 CM. L. HEAD AND HANDLE GRIP
#5. TOTOKIA
#6. OLD DRAWING OF FIJI CLUBS
#7., #8. & #9. OLD KINIKINI CLUB
#10. OLD FIJI PADDLE CLUB
#11. FIJI KINIKINI CLUB
#12. 1870 PRINT FIJI ISLANDERS NOTE TOTOKIA

[chiefheadknocker]

thanks for putting up pictures of these lovely clubs , ive such a passion for Fijian clubs its makes my mouth water to see nice examples , ive posted a couple of pics of my totokia to show the inlayed handle

[VANDOO]

A VERY NICE CLUB WITH GOOD PATINA A CARVED GRIP AND MOST UNUSUAL A STAR INLAY AT THE CLUB BUTT. MANY OF THE TOTOKIA DON'T HAVE A CARVED DESIGN ON THE GRIP AND FEWER STILL HAVE ANY INLAY. MOST INLAY IS SEEN ON THE ULA THROWING CLUBS AND THE ROOTSTOCK FORMS. THE MOST COMMON INLAY ON THE BUTT OF A CLUB IS USUALLY A DISK WHICH EITHER REPRESENTS THE MOON OR SUN. THE INLAY PATTERNS I SEE ARE SUN MOON AND STARS. THE SUN IS A DISK WITH MANY RAYS THE MOON EITHER A SMOOTH ROUND OR HALF MOON THE STARS COME IN 4 POINT AND FIVE POINT AND PERHAPS TRIANGLE SHAPES. THE OTHER COMMON INLAY IS HUMAN TEETH. HERE ARE SOME PICTURES
#1. IS FROM A BOOK AND HAS SEVERAL TYPES OF CLUB ONE IS A TOTOKIA WITH A IVORY SPIKE AND INLAY AT THE BUTT ITS THE ONLY OTHER EXAMPLE I AM AWARE OF.
#2. A ULA WITH THE STARS AND MOON INLAY SIMULAR TO YOUR INLAY
#3., #4. & #5. SHOWING VARIATIONS IN INLAY PATTERNS ON ULA CLUBS
#6. WHEN RECEIVING A GOOD BONK ON THE HEAD WITH THIS ONE YOU WILL SEE STARS.
THANKS FOR ADDING A VALUABLE EXAMPLE TO THE REFRENCE.

[Gehazi]

amazing collection, great thread, thanks for sharing!

[chiefheadknocker]

wow some lovely inlayed clubs there , heres a picture of a couple of large heavyweight ulas I have , in the past I have had many ula clubs but these two are the largest and heaviest ive had , you can see why they were such a deadly weapon ,one blow from one of these would certainly kill