MOST DESIRED OCEANIC WAR CLUBS 3: FIJI

fireiceviper · 4th February 2016, 10:33 PM

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 · 24th May 2016, 05:14 AM

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 · 26th May 2016, 07:52 PM

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 · 26th May 2016, 08:52 PM

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 · 23rd June 2016, 04:24 PM

#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 · 26th August 2016, 08:08 PM

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 · 26th August 2016, 09:38 PM

#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

4th February 2016, 10:33 PM	#1
fireiceviper Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 87	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...

24th May 2016, 05:14 AM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	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 Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 24th May 2016 at 05:34 AM.

26th May 2016, 07:52 PM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	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. Attached Images

26th May 2016, 08:52 PM	#4
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	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. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 26th May 2016 at 09:10 PM.

23rd June 2016, 04:24 PM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	#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. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 23rd June 2016 at 05:59 PM.

26th August 2016, 08:08 PM	#6
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	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 Attached Images

26th August 2016, 09:38 PM	#7
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	#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 Attached Images