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VANDOO · 28th September 2013, 04:57 PM

THE BASIC FORM USED IN MAKEING MOST CLUBS IS THE COCONUT LEAFSTALK THE NEXT BASIC FORM IS SAID TO BE THE BANNA LEAF ( LAUFA'I ). THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS THE BANNA LEAF HAS A ROUNDED STRIKING END NOT FLAT AS IN COCONUT STALK FORMS. I AM HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A BASIC PICTURE OF THIS FORM AS IT AND THE PADDLE CLUBS ARE SO SIMULAR IN MANY WAYS.
1.BANNA LEAF TO SHOW GENERAL SHAPE.
2. AN EXAMPLE OF COCONUT STALK AND BANNA LEAF FOR COMPARISON. I THINK THESE ARE TONGAN IN ORIGIN BUT MAY BE SAMOAN .
3. THE END LOOKS LIKE BANNA LEAF FORM BUT THE REST IS MODIFIED HEAVY TONGAN INFLUENCE OR TONGAN MADE?.
4. SEVERAL CLUBS THE ONES WITH ROUNDED END ARE BANNA LEAF THE FLAT ENDS ARE COCONUT STALK. ALL ARE TONGAN STATE CLUBS
5. A FEW MORE OF THE GENERAL BANNA LEAF FORM
I DON'T HAVE PICTURES OF CERTIFIED SAMOAN EXAMPLES OF THIS FORM AND AM HAVING TO USE TONGAN EXAMPLES FOR ILLISTRATION SO WILL MOVE ON TO OTHER BASIC FEATURES OF SAMOAN CLUBS.
TONGAN AND SAMOAN CLUBS HAVE A FLAIR TO THE BUTT (PROXIMAL END) WITH NO FLANGES AS FOUND IN SOME CLUBS FROM FIJI. SEE FIGURE #6
TONGAN AND SAMOAN CLUBS OFTEN HAVE LUGS ON THE PROXIMAL END FOR ATTACHING A CORD FOR HANGING OR AS A LANYARD. THIS LUG IS NOT FOUND ON FIJI CLUBS BUT AS TONGAN INFLUENCE WAS STRONG THEY ARE PRESENT IN FIJI AS WELL. SEE FIG. #7 FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF LUG
SOME PICTURES MAY BE PADDLE FORM RATHER THAN BANNA LEAF THE LINE BETWEEN THE TWO IS VERY CLOSE.
OLDER SAMOAN CARVED DESIGNS WERE NOT AS ORNATE AND DID NOT CONTAIN HUMAN FIGURES AS FOUND ON TONGAN CLUBS. THE DESIGNS ON THE OLD ONES WERE DEEPLY CARVED AND FILLED WITH WHITE LIME. THE DESIGNS OFTEN RESEMBLE THE TAVATAVA DESIGNS OF FIJI BUT AS IT IS A BASIC DESIGN MAY HAVE ORIGINATED INDEPENDENTLY IN SEVERAL PLACES. SEE PICTURES 8,9 &10
THE NEW WAY DESIGNS ARE BEING MADE TODAY ARE DIFFERENT THEY COAT THE CLUB IN BLACK AND THEN SCRATCH THE BLACK OFF DOWN TO THE WOOD MAKEING THE DESIGNS, WHITE LIME IS SELDOM USED THESE DAYS. THE NEW DESIGNS ARE MORE COMPLEX AND ATTRACTIVE THAN THE OLD IN SOME CASES BUT I PREFER THE OLD WAY, BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER.

SEE PICTURES 11 & 12

28th September 2013, 04:57 PM	#8
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THE BASIC FORM USED IN MAKEING MOST CLUBS IS THE COCONUT LEAFSTALK THE NEXT BASIC FORM IS SAID TO BE THE BANNA LEAF ( LAUFA'I ). THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS THE BANNA LEAF HAS A ROUNDED STRIKING END NOT FLAT AS IN COCONUT STALK FORMS. I AM HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A BASIC PICTURE OF THIS FORM AS IT AND THE PADDLE CLUBS ARE SO SIMULAR IN MANY WAYS. 1.BANNA LEAF TO SHOW GENERAL SHAPE. 2. AN EXAMPLE OF COCONUT STALK AND BANNA LEAF FOR COMPARISON. I THINK THESE ARE TONGAN IN ORIGIN BUT MAY BE SAMOAN . 3. THE END LOOKS LIKE BANNA LEAF FORM BUT THE REST IS MODIFIED HEAVY TONGAN INFLUENCE OR TONGAN MADE?. 4. SEVERAL CLUBS THE ONES WITH ROUNDED END ARE BANNA LEAF THE FLAT ENDS ARE COCONUT STALK. ALL ARE TONGAN STATE CLUBS 5. A FEW MORE OF THE GENERAL BANNA LEAF FORM I DON'T HAVE PICTURES OF CERTIFIED SAMOAN EXAMPLES OF THIS FORM AND AM HAVING TO USE TONGAN EXAMPLES FOR ILLISTRATION SO WILL MOVE ON TO OTHER BASIC FEATURES OF SAMOAN CLUBS. TONGAN AND SAMOAN CLUBS HAVE A FLAIR TO THE BUTT (PROXIMAL END) WITH NO FLANGES AS FOUND IN SOME CLUBS FROM FIJI. SEE FIGURE #6 TONGAN AND SAMOAN CLUBS OFTEN HAVE LUGS ON THE PROXIMAL END FOR ATTACHING A CORD FOR HANGING OR AS A LANYARD. THIS LUG IS NOT FOUND ON FIJI CLUBS BUT AS TONGAN INFLUENCE WAS STRONG THEY ARE PRESENT IN FIJI AS WELL. SEE FIG. #7 FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF LUG SOME PICTURES MAY BE PADDLE FORM RATHER THAN BANNA LEAF THE LINE BETWEEN THE TWO IS VERY CLOSE. OLDER SAMOAN CARVED DESIGNS WERE NOT AS ORNATE AND DID NOT CONTAIN HUMAN FIGURES AS FOUND ON TONGAN CLUBS. THE DESIGNS ON THE OLD ONES WERE DEEPLY CARVED AND FILLED WITH WHITE LIME. THE DESIGNS OFTEN RESEMBLE THE TAVATAVA DESIGNS OF FIJI BUT AS IT IS A BASIC DESIGN MAY HAVE ORIGINATED INDEPENDENTLY IN SEVERAL PLACES. SEE PICTURES 8,9 &10 THE NEW WAY DESIGNS ARE BEING MADE TODAY ARE DIFFERENT THEY COAT THE CLUB IN BLACK AND THEN SCRATCH THE BLACK OFF DOWN TO THE WOOD MAKEING THE DESIGNS, WHITE LIME IS SELDOM USED THESE DAYS. THE NEW DESIGNS ARE MORE COMPLEX AND ATTRACTIVE THAN THE OLD IN SOME CASES BUT I PREFER THE OLD WAY, BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER. SEE PICTURES 11 & 12 Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 28th September 2013 at 06:13 PM.