MOST DESIRED OCEANIC WAR CLUBS 3: FIJI

VANDOO · 30th May 2015, 02:00 AM

#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 · 21st July 2015, 11:55 PM

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 · 22nd July 2015, 01:02 AM

Hi Vandoo,

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

VANDOO · 22nd July 2015, 02:17 AM

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 · 23rd July 2015, 09:42 PM

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 · 28th December 2015, 08:42 PM

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 · 28th December 2015, 10:20 PM

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

30th May 2015, 02:00 AM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	#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. Attached Images

21st July 2015, 11:55 PM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	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. Attached Images

22nd July 2015, 01:02 AM	#3
fireiceviper Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 87	Hi Vandoo, I Have never seen an old club of that shape... do you have a name for it?

22nd July 2015, 02:17 AM	#4
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	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 Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 22nd July 2015 at 02:44 AM.

23rd July 2015, 09:42 PM	#5
fireiceviper Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 87	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.

28th December 2015, 08:42 PM	#6
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	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 Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 28th December 2015 at 09:09 PM.

28th December 2015, 10:20 PM	#7
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	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 Attached Images