MOST OF THE EARLY FIJI CLUBS HAD SIMPLE CARVING STYLES AND WERE NOT FULLY CARVED. THE LATER TONGAN CLUBS AND THOSE INFLUENCED BY TONGANS WERE MORE FULLY CARVED AND THE CARVING MORE INTRICATE AND VARIED. JUDGEING FROM THE CLUBS I HAVE SEEN AND HANDLED THE OLDEST ONES HAD LESS CARVEING AND WERE OF THE MORE SIMPLE DESIGNS. I SUSPECT MANY OF THESE HAD FIBER OR CORD WRAPPING ON THE SHAFTS THAT HAS DETEORIATED AND BEEN LOST. ON SOME YOU CAN SEE MARKS OR DIFFERENCES IN THE PATINA WHERE THE WRAPPING ONCE WAS.
WHEN CONTACT WAS MADE AND TRADE ESTABLISHED IT WAS FOUND THE EXPLORERS AND WHALERS AND SUCH WOULD RATHER TRADE FOR THE MORE FULLY CARVED CLUBS INSTEAD OF THE MORE SIMPLE TRADITIONAL ONES.
LATER WHEN WARFARE AND CANNIBALISM HAD BEEN ENDED CLUBS BECAME MORE OF AN ITEM FOR CEREMONY OR PRESTIEGE AND THE FANCIER THE BETTER. THE ENVIORMENT IN THE ISLANDS WAS VERY DESTRUCTIVE OF WOODEN AND FIBER IMPLEMENTS AND WHEN THEY WERE LEFT TO SET IN A SHED OR CORNER OF A HUT UNUSED FOR VERY LONG THEY DIDN'T LAST LONG. WHITE ANTS (TERMITES) COULD DESTROY THEM IN SHORT ORDER AND FUNGUS OR MOLD SLOWER BUT JUST AS SURELY.
PICTURES, TOP TWO FIJI BOWAI CLUB,
NEXT TWO FIJI ROOTSTOCK CLUB
ULA THROWING CLUB, TONGAN INFLUENCE
LAST TWO FULLY CARVED TONGAN BOWAI FORM CLUB
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