Ula?

[Tim Simmons]

Gambled 10 portions on this scaby picture. It is what I think it is? It looks quite long, shown on the top of a wheelie bin. I guess it could be up to 60cm long looking at my whealie bin. As you can see the picture is poor so I have taken a big deep breath, shut my eyes really tight and crossed my fingers untill it arrives.

[Lew]

Tim

Hard to say the head looks ok but the lack of patina worries me? See example below.

[kahnjar1]

Small pumpkin on stick?? :D Seriously what is an Ula?
Stu

[Tim Simmons]

Tim

Hard to say the head looks ok but the lack of patina worries me? See example below.

Me too. I am happy with the blond wood. I am hoping it is just dried out and neglected and will come right with so TLC.

[Tim Simmons]

Small pumpkin on stick?? :D Seriously what is an Ula?
Stu
This link will put you right Stuart. Lovely examples but too expensive also he has rather a lot of then.

http://www.tribalmania.com/EXHIBITIONULAS.htm

[kahnjar1]

Thanks for the link Tim. I have to say I am shocked at the prices, and if I happen to see one I will know what to do with it.!!!!
Stu

[graeme gt]

Paid a few portions for mine ,but hard to believe the prices .

[Tim Simmons]

It is here now so I can stop turning blue and have a healthy glow from being in the pink. It is very nice. I could also believe that it is a very old one as these things go. It is the same size and form as the link examples 14 "sold" and 17 except the handle is plain I checked my local FC index fund and I netted it for 8.75 FC market index units. The example no 17 including todays international exchange rates is on the market for 198.36 FC index units, which is rather a lot especially when you consider as I am always saying "these things are not rare" Here are some pictures also I think I paid around the true and fair price.

[Lew]

Tim

you did good! :)

[graeme gt]

Nice one Tim looks like a different club,must be original its got emulsion spots on it .

[Tim Simmons]

There were some tiny flecks of paint. The white bits in the picture are some loose flecks of paint but mostly remants of tissue paper.

[graeme gt]

I think i have just cracked the FC, im not the smartest .

[Gavin Nugent]

Nice one Tim, gambles are good when they pay off.

I too have one here with a nice patina and no carvings to the shaft.

Has anyone ever ventured out on to a soft lawn and tried throwing these things....ummmmm I know I have....whats the point of having a toy if you can't play with it.... The strength and hardness of an Ula is very appealling to me.

Congrats.

Gav

[Lew]

Has anyone ever ventured out on to a soft lawn and tried throwing these things....ummmmm I know I have....whats the point of having a toy if you can't play with it.... The strength and hardness of an Ula is very appealling to me.

Congrats.

Gav[/QUOTE]


Gav

I would only throw a replica club would not want to mess up an antique. ;)

Lew

[David]

Has anyone ever ventured out on to a soft lawn and tried throwing these things....ummmmm I know I have....whats the point of having a toy if you can't play with it.... The strength and hardness of an Ula is very appealling to me.

Congrats.

Gav


Gav

I would only throw a replica club would not want to mess up an antique. ;)

Lew[/QUOTE]
I almost bought a replica ula when i was up in Nova Scotia last week. There is a tall ship that ports in Lunenberg called the Picton Castle that does regular sails around the world with a regular stop in Fiji and they have quite a few nice new ulas and war clubs. But they are beatiful sculptural carvings and i would throw one of them out on my lawn either. :)
They also make stops in Bali, but none of the keris they bring back are ever worth bothering with. :(

[Tim Simmons]

I would not dream of throwing any of my clubs. I thought about throwing one of my African throwing knives but thought better of it.

About Fiji, there are over 100 inhabited island that make up the state. Is there anybody who knows about regional styles or of any books that list more of these artifacts?

[galvano]

my ula
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2386&highlight=galvano
pat

[colin henshaw]

Hi Tim

I can recommend the books by Fergus Clunie published by the Fiji Museum eg :-

"Fijian Weapons & Warfare"
"Yalo i Viti"

I think they can be ordered direct from the museum, which has a website.

"Fijian Artefacts : the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery Collection" by R. Ewins, 1982 is also good.

Regards

[Tim Simmons]

Galvano, they are super clubs and it was very cheeky of me to suggest they were of late date ;).

Colin thanks for the book info.

I got this picture from the "Art of Tonga" Very beautiful but also quite short 31cm, my Ula is 41cm. They are clearly objects that belonged to the elete. Although marvelous to behold I sometime feel this type of object is not helpful in a general study. Tongan artist were in the employ of royalty on Fiji and that would have been the main island. What about the more isolated islands and Samoa.

Also a picture looking on the top of my Ula. I do not believe it is the result of random carving. There is a distinctive star shape, three large lobes at the top of the picture and four small lobes at the bottom. I might think the carving on the head is relativly minimal with the lobes largely form by constriction of the shrub root ball.

[Gavin Nugent]

A question I am sure a few of you have pondered is the incised markings found on Fijian clubs. Is it known if these lines represent anything at all such as status?
The rings of incised lines is what sparks my curiosity? Some are paired together above and below the long incised lines that run up and down the clubs, some of these rings are spaced apart with no long lines joining them.

Any ideas?

Gav