MOST DESIRED OCEANIC WAR CLUBS 3: FIJI

VANDOO · 13th August 2013, 10:39 PM

HERE ARE MY 5 EXAMPLES OF THE CULACULA FORM OF CLUB. THREE HAVE THE FLARED FLAT BUTT END FOUND ON CLUBS WITH TONGAN INFLUENCES NONE HAVE THE SMALL LUG WITH A HOLE FOUND ON OLDER EXAMPLES I SUSPECT THESE ARE FROM THE 1960'S OR LATER CARVED IN FIJI. THE TWO OLDER EXAMPLES HAVE THE PHALLIC END WHICH I BELEAVE TO BE THE OLDER FORM. THE SMALLEST EXAMPLE IS 32.5 IN. LONG AND IS THE OLDEST PERHAPS 1920'S OR OLDER AND APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN MADE WITH PRIMATIVE TOOLS. THE LARGEST ONE IS 44 IN. LONG AND LIKELY FROM THE 1930'S TO 1950'S. THE LARGE ONE CAME OFF THE WALLS OF A OLD TIKI BAR FROM THE 1930'S TO 1950'S NOW LONG GONE.

3 PICTURES OF A RECENTLY MADE FIJI CLUB WITH FIBER WRAP 28IN. X 8 INCHES.

VANDOO · 13th August 2013, 10:51 PM

A RARE CLUB FOUND IN CLUNIE'S BOOK ON PLATE 13 FIGURE E DESCRIBED ON PAGE 57 AS."Soke-mantau the knobby axe or knobby club ". THIS IS THE FORM I THINK LOOKS LIKE AN OCTOPUS TENTACLE WITH SUCTION CUPS. I HAVE AN EXAMPLE CARVED IN FIIJI CIRC 1960.

VANDOO · 14th August 2013, 06:50 PM

THE CLUB REFERED TO AS THE GUGU OR TIVITIVI IS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN FOR CEREMONIAL USE NOT WAR. MOST ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE ORIGINATED IN THE INTERIOR OF VIVI LEVU AND HAVE TONGAN INFLUENCE AS MANY LIVED IN THE REGION BUT MAY HAVE BEEN MORE WIDE SPREAD.
SOMETIMES CALLED LOTUS CLUBS OR AX BIT CLUBS THEY ACTUALLY REPRESENT THE BUTTERFLY FISH. BUTTERFLY FISH ARE REFERED TO AS GUGU OR TIVITIVI AND TRADE HATCHETS WERE SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS TIVITIVI DUE TO THE WAY THE AX HEAD IS MOUNTED ON THE SHAFT AT A DIFFERENT ANGLE TO THE BLADE OF AN ADZ.
THERE IS THOUGHT TO BE TWO BASIC FORMS OF THIS CLUB.
1. A PLAIN LIGHT FORM WITH AN OVAL HANDLE AND OFTEN A HOLE IS DRILLED JUST BELOW THE HEAD.
2. A HEAVIER ORNATELY CARVED ONE WITH A ROUND HANDLE AND SOMETIMES HUMAN OR OTHER FIGURES CARVED IN THE DECORATIONS IN TONGAN DESIGN.
THIS INFORMATION AND MORE CAN BE FOUND IN CLUNIE ON PAGE 54 WITH DRAWINGS OF VARIOUS EXAMPLES OF THE CLUBS ON FIG. 4

THE FIRST TWO PICTURES ARE OF A RATHER CRUDELY CARVED SMALL 27 INCH EXAMPLE IT DOSEN'T LOOK LIKE A REPLICA FOR TOURISTS AND SHOWS SOME AGE AND WEAR SO MAY BE FOR USE OR JUST SOMEONE PRACTICING CARVING ONE? IT WILL BE THE SHORT CLUB PICTURED WITH MY OTHER 2 EXAMPLES. SORRY ABOUT PICTURE QUALITY NO GOOD SUN HERE TODAY. THE LAST PICTURES ARE OF MY 3 CLUBS THE SHORT ONE MENTIONED ABOVE THE MIDDLE SIZE APPEARS TO BE THE TYPE 1 MENTIONED BY CLUNIE THE LARGE ONE IS THE HEAVY FULLY CARVED TYPE 2 FORM. MIDDLE SIZE CLUB 33INCHES, LARGE CLUB 41.5 INCHES.

KraVseR · 14th August 2013, 08:16 PM

Thank you!
What is the length of these clubs?

VANDOO · 14th August 2013, 11:22 PM

MY LONGEST CLUB IS 41.5 INCHES LONG AND HAS THE HUMAN FIGURE AND IS FULLY CARVED. IN CLUNIES BOOK IT SHOWS A SIMULAR TYPE TWO CLUB WHICH IS ALSO LONGER THAN THE THREE TYPE ONE CLUBS REPRESENTED ON THE SAME PLATE. THE SHORTER TYPE 1 FORM IS 33 INCHES LONG SO I AM ASSUMING THAT TO BE THE GENERAL SIZE RANGE FOR THIS FORM.
MOST ALL OF MY INFORMATION COMES FROM BOOKS NOTABLY CLUNIE'S BOOK ON FIJI WEAPONS. THE ONLY GOOD REASON I CAN THINK OF TO MAKE A REFRENCE POST LIKE THIS AND MY OTHERS IS THAT I AND OTHERS CAN ADD PICTURES OF A VARIETY OF THESE FORMS OF CLUB AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION THEY MAY HAVE. CLUNIE'S BOOK HAS DRAWINGS SO ITS NICE TO HAVE A REFRENCE WITH PICTURES OF THE ACTUAL CLUBS AND EVEN NEWER REPLICAS ADD TO THE INFORMATION. HERE IS A PICTURE OF ANOTHER EXAMPLE

VANDOO · 15th August 2013, 08:35 PM

HERE ARE A FEW MORE EXAMPLES OF THE CULACULA FORM OF CLUB FROM A PREVIOUS SECTION TO ADD TO THE REFRENCE.

VANDOO · 15th August 2013, 09:29 PM

THIS IS THE LAST OF THE CULACULA FORM CLUBS THAT I CURRENTLY HAVE PICTURES OF. THE PICTURES I HAVE POSTED ON THIS CLUB FORM SO FAR SHOW A GOOD REPRESENITIVE VARIETY OF OLD AS WELL AS REPLICA CLUBS.
THE CLUB IN THE LAST PICTURE IS 111CM. LONG

13th August 2013, 10:39 PM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	HERE ARE MY 5 EXAMPLES OF THE CULACULA FORM OF CLUB. THREE HAVE THE FLARED FLAT BUTT END FOUND ON CLUBS WITH TONGAN INFLUENCES NONE HAVE THE SMALL LUG WITH A HOLE FOUND ON OLDER EXAMPLES I SUSPECT THESE ARE FROM THE 1960'S OR LATER CARVED IN FIJI. THE TWO OLDER EXAMPLES HAVE THE PHALLIC END WHICH I BELEAVE TO BE THE OLDER FORM. THE SMALLEST EXAMPLE IS 32.5 IN. LONG AND IS THE OLDEST PERHAPS 1920'S OR OLDER AND APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN MADE WITH PRIMATIVE TOOLS. THE LARGEST ONE IS 44 IN. LONG AND LIKELY FROM THE 1930'S TO 1950'S. THE LARGE ONE CAME OFF THE WALLS OF A OLD TIKI BAR FROM THE 1930'S TO 1950'S NOW LONG GONE. 3 PICTURES OF A RECENTLY MADE FIJI CLUB WITH FIBER WRAP 28IN. X 8 INCHES. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 13th August 2013 at 11:59 PM.

13th August 2013, 10:51 PM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A RARE CLUB FOUND IN CLUNIE'S BOOK ON PLATE 13 FIGURE E DESCRIBED ON PAGE 57 AS."Soke-mantau the knobby axe or knobby club ". THIS IS THE FORM I THINK LOOKS LIKE AN OCTOPUS TENTACLE WITH SUCTION CUPS. I HAVE AN EXAMPLE CARVED IN FIIJI CIRC 1960. Attached Images

14th August 2013, 06:50 PM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THE CLUB REFERED TO AS THE GUGU OR TIVITIVI IS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN FOR CEREMONIAL USE NOT WAR. MOST ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE ORIGINATED IN THE INTERIOR OF VIVI LEVU AND HAVE TONGAN INFLUENCE AS MANY LIVED IN THE REGION BUT MAY HAVE BEEN MORE WIDE SPREAD. SOMETIMES CALLED LOTUS CLUBS OR AX BIT CLUBS THEY ACTUALLY REPRESENT THE BUTTERFLY FISH. BUTTERFLY FISH ARE REFERED TO AS GUGU OR TIVITIVI AND TRADE HATCHETS WERE SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS TIVITIVI DUE TO THE WAY THE AX HEAD IS MOUNTED ON THE SHAFT AT A DIFFERENT ANGLE TO THE BLADE OF AN ADZ. THERE IS THOUGHT TO BE TWO BASIC FORMS OF THIS CLUB. 1. A PLAIN LIGHT FORM WITH AN OVAL HANDLE AND OFTEN A HOLE IS DRILLED JUST BELOW THE HEAD. 2. A HEAVIER ORNATELY CARVED ONE WITH A ROUND HANDLE AND SOMETIMES HUMAN OR OTHER FIGURES CARVED IN THE DECORATIONS IN TONGAN DESIGN. THIS INFORMATION AND MORE CAN BE FOUND IN CLUNIE ON PAGE 54 WITH DRAWINGS OF VARIOUS EXAMPLES OF THE CLUBS ON FIG. 4 THE FIRST TWO PICTURES ARE OF A RATHER CRUDELY CARVED SMALL 27 INCH EXAMPLE IT DOSEN'T LOOK LIKE A REPLICA FOR TOURISTS AND SHOWS SOME AGE AND WEAR SO MAY BE FOR USE OR JUST SOMEONE PRACTICING CARVING ONE? IT WILL BE THE SHORT CLUB PICTURED WITH MY OTHER 2 EXAMPLES. SORRY ABOUT PICTURE QUALITY NO GOOD SUN HERE TODAY. THE LAST PICTURES ARE OF MY 3 CLUBS THE SHORT ONE MENTIONED ABOVE THE MIDDLE SIZE APPEARS TO BE THE TYPE 1 MENTIONED BY CLUNIE THE LARGE ONE IS THE HEAVY FULLY CARVED TYPE 2 FORM. MIDDLE SIZE CLUB 33INCHES, LARGE CLUB 41.5 INCHES. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 14th August 2013 at 08:16 PM.

14th August 2013, 11:22 PM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	MY LONGEST CLUB IS 41.5 INCHES LONG AND HAS THE HUMAN FIGURE AND IS FULLY CARVED. IN CLUNIES BOOK IT SHOWS A SIMULAR TYPE TWO CLUB WHICH IS ALSO LONGER THAN THE THREE TYPE ONE CLUBS REPRESENTED ON THE SAME PLATE. THE SHORTER TYPE 1 FORM IS 33 INCHES LONG SO I AM ASSUMING THAT TO BE THE GENERAL SIZE RANGE FOR THIS FORM. MOST ALL OF MY INFORMATION COMES FROM BOOKS NOTABLY CLUNIE'S BOOK ON FIJI WEAPONS. THE ONLY GOOD REASON I CAN THINK OF TO MAKE A REFRENCE POST LIKE THIS AND MY OTHERS IS THAT I AND OTHERS CAN ADD PICTURES OF A VARIETY OF THESE FORMS OF CLUB AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION THEY MAY HAVE. CLUNIE'S BOOK HAS DRAWINGS SO ITS NICE TO HAVE A REFRENCE WITH PICTURES OF THE ACTUAL CLUBS AND EVEN NEWER REPLICAS ADD TO THE INFORMATION. HERE IS A PICTURE OF ANOTHER EXAMPLE Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 15th August 2013 at 08:52 PM.

15th August 2013, 08:35 PM	#6
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	HERE ARE A FEW MORE EXAMPLES OF THE CULACULA FORM OF CLUB FROM A PREVIOUS SECTION TO ADD TO THE REFRENCE. Attached Images

14th August 2013, 08:16 PM	#4
KraVseR Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Ukraine Posts: 128	Thank you! What is the length of these clubs?

15th August 2013, 09:29 PM	#7
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THIS IS THE LAST OF THE CULACULA FORM CLUBS THAT I CURRENTLY HAVE PICTURES OF. THE PICTURES I HAVE POSTED ON THIS CLUB FORM SO FAR SHOW A GOOD REPRESENITIVE VARIETY OF OLD AS WELL AS REPLICA CLUBS. THE CLUB IN THE LAST PICTURE IS 111CM. LONG Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 15th August 2013 at 09:39 PM.