Lot 28C
Oceania, Fiji, ca. 1775 CE. A superb early example of a Fijian ula or chief's throwing club, carved from a single piece of hardwood with an elegant fluted spherical head (tavatava) and a smooth tapered handle. These deadly missile clubs were among the most feared weapons of the 18th and 19th century Fiji Islands. When hurled with precision, the weighted head could crush bone, while the tapered handle was designed to pierce the target upon impact. In the hands of a skilled warrior, the ula was devastating. The ethnographer Churchill recorded in 1917 having witnessed a Fijian drive an ula into a pig up to the head from a distance of sixty-five feet. Missionary Thomas Williams described them as "the favourite implement of assassination," worn tucked into the masi belt, often in pairs like pistols, ready for instant use. Warriors carried them both for open battle and for surprise attacks, ensuring they were never without a means of defense or assault. Size: 17.3" L x 4.6" Diameter (43.9 cm x 11.7 cm)
The i ula tavatava takes its name from the distinctive "fluted head" rather than the zig-zag carved grip also known as tavatava. The present example retains the fine, hand-carved ridges around the head, its smooth patina the result of centuries of handling and wear. As with all true ula, it was carved from the root of a dense hardwood shrub, ensuring both resilience and balance when thrown. Such weapons were as much a statement of authority as they were tools of war. This example, dating to 1775, stands as both a lethal implement of Fiji's warrior culture and an enduring work of Pacific Island craftsmanship.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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#196374
- Condition: Some old, stable fissures to wood and weathering to surface with small nicks and nicks to some spikes. Otherwise, intact and excellent with rich patina.
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