MOST DESIRED OCEANIC WAR CLUBS 3: FIJI

VANDOO · 3rd September 2013, 09:15 PM

THE SALI FORM OF CLUB IS SIMULAR TO THE GATA FORM BUT HAS WIDER CHEEKS AND THE CURVE CONTINUES FARTHER DOWN THE LEGNTH OF THE CLUB SHAFT. I FIND THIS ESTHETICALY PLEASING IN THE WELL DONE FORMS. NOT ALL SALI ARE THIS GRACEFUL AND THERE ARE VARIATIONS REFERRED TO BY THI NAME SALI, CALI OR TEBETEBE . THESE CLUBS ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN NAMED AFTER THE CLAWED SALI FLOWER ONE OF THE BANNANA LIKE PLANTS. CLUNIE STATES " THEIR LONGER BROADER CHEEKS AND THEIR MORE HIGHLY DEVELOPED CREST OR SPUR DISTINGUISH THEM FROM GATA CLUBS". THEY WERE FIGHTING CLUBS BUT SAID TO BE USED IN DANCING OFTEN HELD BY THE SPUR DURING THE DANCE.
THE FIRST EXAMPLE IS THE CLASSIC FORM THE OTHERS ARE IDENTIFIED AS SALI BUT IF SO ARE LESS CLASIC IN FORM. THE WARRIOR IN THE PICTURE HAS A SALI AND THERE IS A PICTURE OF ONE IN THE PICTURE OF FIJI CLUBS.
BELOW THAT ARE PICTURES OF 3 EXAMPLES OF A UNUSUAL FORM NOW ON THE MARKET SOMETIMES REFERED TO AS A SALI ONE EXAMPLE IS INLAYED WITH SHELL IT IS 41 IN. X 9 IN.. THIS CLUB DOSEN'T APPEAR IN PARTINGTONS OR IN CLUNIES BOOK. EXCEPT THERE IS A PICTURE ON PLATE 10 IN CLUNIES BOOK BY REV. THOMAS WILLIAMS WITH A DRAWING DESCRIBED AS A GATA WITH A UNUSUAL SNAIL LIKE HEAD. THIS IS THE ONLY BASIS FOR THIS FORM OF CLUB I HAVE FOUND. I DID NOT FIND INFORMATION ON THE REV.WILLIAMS SO DATE AND TIME AS WELL AS THE ACCURACY OF THE DRAWINGS ARE UNKNOWN.
THE LAST TWO ARE OF A UNUSUAL FORM SOLD TO ME AS A SALI BUT IT IS ONLY 24 X 7.5 INCHES I CONSIDER IT A GATA PERHAPS FOR DANCE BUT IT DOES SHOW PATINA AND WEAR AND WOULD BE AN EFFECTIVE WEAPON.

VANDOO · 4th September 2013, 05:40 AM

HERE ARE TWO EXAMPLES OF SPURED FORMS BUT NOT BASED ON ANY OLD EXAMPLES I KNOW OF. I WOULD CLASSIFY THESE AS FANTASY CLUBS AND AS ART ONLY SO NOT REALLY ETHINOGRAPHIC EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE MADE IN OCEANA POSSIBLY FIJI BUT NEVER SERVED ANY FUNCTION IN THE SOCIETY. ONE SEEMS TO INCORPORATE THE SAMOAN TEETH AS WELL AS TONGAN CARVING INTO THE FIJI FORM. THE OTHER HAS TONGAN AND FIJI ELEMENTS AND THOUGH A FANTASY CLUB SHOWS A SPLIT FORM OF HEAD. THERE IS A DRAWING IN CLUNIES BOOK OF A SPLIT FORM OF CLUB THOUGH IT IS SPLIT IN A DIFFERENT MANNER THAN THIS ONE SO THERE IS PRECIDENT FOR THAT ASPECT AS WELL AS THE GENERAL SHAPE OVERALL. FANTASY THEY MAY BE BUT THEY WOULD SURELY LEAVE A MARK IF USED

VANDOO · 5th September 2013, 04:21 AM

1. THIS IS AN UNUSUAL FORM 28 INCHES LONG FIRST 3 PICTURES. AN EXAMPLE IS IN CLUNIES PLATE 12 ITEM G, REFERRED TO AS " VUNIKAU I DO NOT KNOW THE SPECIFIC NAME OF THE VUNIKAU OR " TREE ROOT" CLUB. THERE IS A EXAMPLE IN THE FIJI MUSEUM COLLECTION BUT EVIDENTLY NOT MUCH INFORMATION ON IT OTHER THAN THE QUOTE ABOVE AND THE DRAWING.

2. THIS IS ANOTHER SELDOM SEEN FORM THE CLOSEST TO IT IN CLUNIES BOOK IS PLATE 3 DRAWING B.IDENTIFIED AS TAVO, A RARE TYPE OF GATA TYPE WITH NO SPUR. THIS EXAMPLE IS 93 CM. LONG WITH NO CARVED DECORATION. IT FUNCTIONS IN BATTLE LIKE A GATA OR SALI BUT HAS NO SPIKE.

3.THIS IS A SAWED OFF FIJI CLUB OF A FORM SEEN ON PLATE 9 FIG.E. SAID TO BE A FORM INTRODUCED FROM TONGA.

VANDOO · 5th September 2013, 08:42 PM

THESE FORMS OF CLUB SEEM TO BE TONGAN BUT DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF TONGAN SETTLEMENTS IN FIJI ARE TO BE FOUND IN CLUNIES BOOK THE DRAWINGS ARE TO BE FOUND ON PLATE 9. WITH TEXT ON PAGE 56.
PICTURES 1 AND 2 OF A CLUB WITH A BROAD FAN SHAPED HEAD PERHAPS CALLED A DUI. THE CLUB IS 28INCHES LONG.
PICTURES 3 & 4 TWO DIFFERENT FORMS OF THE TYPE.
ONE PICTURE OF AN UNUSUAL LONG FORM SAID TO BE FROM FIJI BUT NO REFERENCE OTHER THAN SALE INFO.
SEVERAL PICTURES OF THE SQUARE ENDED TONGAN FORM RANGEING FROM 31 TO 32 INCHES LONG. NO INFORMATION IN CLUNIES BOOK OTHER THAN TONGAN.

VANDOO · 6th September 2013, 04:13 PM

CONTINUING THE TONGAN FORMS OF FIJI CLUBS SEEN ON PLATE 9 CLUNIES BOOK.
#1 THRU 4. A FAN SHAPED EXAMPLE, 78 X 17 CM. LONG, NOTE CARVING DESIGN IS TAVATAVA DESIGN
#5 THRU 8. MORE EXAMPLES OF THE SQUARE ENDED FORM MANY WITH TONGAN FULLY CARVED DESIGNS. NOTE PICTURE 5 ITEM AIM14702 HAS TAVATAVA DESIGN
#9 THRU 12. TONGAN FORM 1900, THREE FEET LONG, THIS EXAMPLE HAS TAVATAVA DESIGN CARVING.

THE LUG ON THE BUTT OF THESE CLUBS SOMETIMES WITH A HOLE FOR A CORD IS A TONGAN FEATURE BROUGHT TO FIJI.

VANDOO · 7th September 2013, 03:55 AM

POLE CLUBS,
FIJI HAD TWO BASIC VARIETYS OF FIGHTING CLUBS THE STRAIGHT ONES SOMETIMES CALLED GADI BECAUSE THEY WERE OFTEN MADE OF GADI WOOD BUT THE WOOD WAS ALSO USED ON OTHER TYPES OF CLUBS AS WELL.

GADI, THIS WAS A STRAIGHT POLE NOT FLARED AT EITHER END THOUGH SOMETIMES TAPERING TO A SMALLER GRIP. THE GRIP IS OFTEN THE ONLY PART OF THE CLUB WITH CARVING WHICH IS USUALLY OF THE TAVA TAVA STYLE WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE MOST PREVELANT DECORATIVE DESIGN IN FIJI CLUBS. SOME OF THESE CLUBS HAVE A ROUNDED STRIKING END AND SOME HAVE A FLAT ONE. THE BUTT OF THE CLUB IS USUALLY FLAT OR SOMETIMES HAS A CONCAVE HOLE , SOME WITH INLAY.
THE OTHER FORM IS MORE LIKE A BASEBALL BAT WITH A LARGER STRIKING END AND FLAREING OUT AT THE SMALLER BUTT END BELOW THE GRIP. THIS WAS CALLED A BOWAI AOI AND WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE ORIGINATED ON TONGA WHERE IT WAS CALLED POVAI. IT WAS WIDELY USED IN FIJI AND THE FAVORITE CLUB OF RATU SERU CAKOBAU . HIS CLUB WAS MADE INTO THE MACE OF THE FIJI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. OFTEN BOTH FORMS OF POLE CLUBS ARE CALLED BOWAI BUT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE. BOTH TYPES OF CLUBS WERE OVER 100 CM. LONG. SEPARATING THEM FROM THE SHORTER CUDGLES OF SIMULAR FORM. THE FULLY CARVED POLE CLUBS WERE USUALLY TONGAN EITHER FROM TONGA OR MADE BY TONGANS IN FIJI OR SAMOA OR WHERE EVER THEY MIGHT BE. THE FIJIANS LIKED TO INLAY IVORY IN THEIR CLUBS EITHER MARINE IVORY (WHALE, ECT) OR HUMAN IVORY TEETH.
PICTURES
1. AN EXAMPLE OF TAVA TAVA DESIGN, ON A PRE 1850 CLUB BUTT.
2. 3. & 4 A BOWAI ,FULLY CARVED IN TAVA TAVA DESIGN 32 INCHES LONG AND END 7 INCHES IN CIRCUMFRENCE
5. FULLY CARVED BOWAI WITH ANOTHER FORM OF FIJI CLUB.
6 &7 CLOSER TO A GADI FORM THAN A BOWAI WITH A INTERESTING DESIGN ON THE CLUBS BUTT AND A ROUNDED TOP. 50.5 INCHES LONG
8, 9.&10 CARVING DETAIL TAVA TAVA ON POLE CLUB BUTTS
11. ROUNDED STRIKING HEAD OF BOWAI , TAVA TAVA DESIGN
12 CONCAVE BUTT END OF A PLAIN GADI CLUB

VANDOO · 7th September 2013, 05:46 AM

A FEW MORE EXAMPLES MOSTLY BOWAI. THERE IS ONE PICTURE OF A GADI STRIKING END WITH IVORY INLAYS AND PICTURE 1 AND 4 THE ROUNDED END AND CARVED BUTT END OF A PLAIN GADI, THE OTHERS ARE BOWAI. ONE BOWAI HAS A MARINE IVORY ROUND INLAY SET IN THE BUTT OF THE CLUB. THE LAST TWO PICTURES ARE OF THE MACE OF THE FIJI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE ABOVE POST.

4th September 2013, 05:40 AM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	HERE ARE TWO EXAMPLES OF SPURED FORMS BUT NOT BASED ON ANY OLD EXAMPLES I KNOW OF. I WOULD CLASSIFY THESE AS FANTASY CLUBS AND AS ART ONLY SO NOT REALLY ETHINOGRAPHIC EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE MADE IN OCEANA POSSIBLY FIJI BUT NEVER SERVED ANY FUNCTION IN THE SOCIETY. ONE SEEMS TO INCORPORATE THE SAMOAN TEETH AS WELL AS TONGAN CARVING INTO THE FIJI FORM. THE OTHER HAS TONGAN AND FIJI ELEMENTS AND THOUGH A FANTASY CLUB SHOWS A SPLIT FORM OF HEAD. THERE IS A DRAWING IN CLUNIES BOOK OF A SPLIT FORM OF CLUB THOUGH IT IS SPLIT IN A DIFFERENT MANNER THAN THIS ONE SO THERE IS PRECIDENT FOR THAT ASPECT AS WELL AS THE GENERAL SHAPE OVERALL. FANTASY THEY MAY BE BUT THEY WOULD SURELY LEAVE A MARK IF USED Attached Images

5th September 2013, 04:21 AM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	1. THIS IS AN UNUSUAL FORM 28 INCHES LONG FIRST 3 PICTURES. AN EXAMPLE IS IN CLUNIES PLATE 12 ITEM G, REFERRED TO AS " VUNIKAU I DO NOT KNOW THE SPECIFIC NAME OF THE VUNIKAU OR " TREE ROOT" CLUB. THERE IS A EXAMPLE IN THE FIJI MUSEUM COLLECTION BUT EVIDENTLY NOT MUCH INFORMATION ON IT OTHER THAN THE QUOTE ABOVE AND THE DRAWING. 2. THIS IS ANOTHER SELDOM SEEN FORM THE CLOSEST TO IT IN CLUNIES BOOK IS PLATE 3 DRAWING B.IDENTIFIED AS TAVO, A RARE TYPE OF GATA TYPE WITH NO SPUR. THIS EXAMPLE IS 93 CM. LONG WITH NO CARVED DECORATION. IT FUNCTIONS IN BATTLE LIKE A GATA OR SALI BUT HAS NO SPIKE. 3.THIS IS A SAWED OFF FIJI CLUB OF A FORM SEEN ON PLATE 9 FIG.E. SAID TO BE A FORM INTRODUCED FROM TONGA. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 5th September 2013 at 05:08 AM.

5th September 2013, 08:42 PM	#4
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THESE FORMS OF CLUB SEEM TO BE TONGAN BUT DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF TONGAN SETTLEMENTS IN FIJI ARE TO BE FOUND IN CLUNIES BOOK THE DRAWINGS ARE TO BE FOUND ON PLATE 9. WITH TEXT ON PAGE 56. PICTURES 1 AND 2 OF A CLUB WITH A BROAD FAN SHAPED HEAD PERHAPS CALLED A DUI. THE CLUB IS 28INCHES LONG. PICTURES 3 & 4 TWO DIFFERENT FORMS OF THE TYPE. ONE PICTURE OF AN UNUSUAL LONG FORM SAID TO BE FROM FIJI BUT NO REFERENCE OTHER THAN SALE INFO. SEVERAL PICTURES OF THE SQUARE ENDED TONGAN FORM RANGEING FROM 31 TO 32 INCHES LONG. NO INFORMATION IN CLUNIES BOOK OTHER THAN TONGAN. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 6th September 2013 at 03:52 PM.

7th September 2013, 03:55 AM	#6
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	POLE CLUBS, FIJI HAD TWO BASIC VARIETYS OF FIGHTING CLUBS THE STRAIGHT ONES SOMETIMES CALLED GADI BECAUSE THEY WERE OFTEN MADE OF GADI WOOD BUT THE WOOD WAS ALSO USED ON OTHER TYPES OF CLUBS AS WELL. GADI, THIS WAS A STRAIGHT POLE NOT FLARED AT EITHER END THOUGH SOMETIMES TAPERING TO A SMALLER GRIP. THE GRIP IS OFTEN THE ONLY PART OF THE CLUB WITH CARVING WHICH IS USUALLY OF THE TAVA TAVA STYLE WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE MOST PREVELANT DECORATIVE DESIGN IN FIJI CLUBS. SOME OF THESE CLUBS HAVE A ROUNDED STRIKING END AND SOME HAVE A FLAT ONE. THE BUTT OF THE CLUB IS USUALLY FLAT OR SOMETIMES HAS A CONCAVE HOLE , SOME WITH INLAY. THE OTHER FORM IS MORE LIKE A BASEBALL BAT WITH A LARGER STRIKING END AND FLAREING OUT AT THE SMALLER BUTT END BELOW THE GRIP. THIS WAS CALLED A BOWAI AOI AND WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE ORIGINATED ON TONGA WHERE IT WAS CALLED POVAI. IT WAS WIDELY USED IN FIJI AND THE FAVORITE CLUB OF RATU SERU CAKOBAU . HIS CLUB WAS MADE INTO THE MACE OF THE FIJI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. OFTEN BOTH FORMS OF POLE CLUBS ARE CALLED BOWAI BUT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE. BOTH TYPES OF CLUBS WERE OVER 100 CM. LONG. SEPARATING THEM FROM THE SHORTER CUDGLES OF SIMULAR FORM. THE FULLY CARVED POLE CLUBS WERE USUALLY TONGAN EITHER FROM TONGA OR MADE BY TONGANS IN FIJI OR SAMOA OR WHERE EVER THEY MIGHT BE. THE FIJIANS LIKED TO INLAY IVORY IN THEIR CLUBS EITHER MARINE IVORY (WHALE, ECT) OR HUMAN IVORY TEETH. PICTURES 1. AN EXAMPLE OF TAVA TAVA DESIGN, ON A PRE 1850 CLUB BUTT. 2. 3. & 4 A BOWAI ,FULLY CARVED IN TAVA TAVA DESIGN 32 INCHES LONG AND END 7 INCHES IN CIRCUMFRENCE 5. FULLY CARVED BOWAI WITH ANOTHER FORM OF FIJI CLUB. 6 &7 CLOSER TO A GADI FORM THAN A BOWAI WITH A INTERESTING DESIGN ON THE CLUBS BUTT AND A ROUNDED TOP. 50.5 INCHES LONG 8, 9.&10 CARVING DETAIL TAVA TAVA ON POLE CLUB BUTTS 11. ROUNDED STRIKING HEAD OF BOWAI , TAVA TAVA DESIGN 12 CONCAVE BUTT END OF A PLAIN GADI CLUB Attached Images

7th September 2013, 05:46 AM	#7
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A FEW MORE EXAMPLES MOSTLY BOWAI. THERE IS ONE PICTURE OF A GADI STRIKING END WITH IVORY INLAYS AND PICTURE 1 AND 4 THE ROUNDED END AND CARVED BUTT END OF A PLAIN GADI, THE OTHERS ARE BOWAI. ONE BOWAI HAS A MARINE IVORY ROUND INLAY SET IN THE BUTT OF THE CLUB. THE LAST TWO PICTURES ARE OF THE MACE OF THE FIJI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE ABOVE POST. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 7th September 2013 at 05:57 AM.

3rd September 2013, 09:15 PM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THE SALI FORM OF CLUB IS SIMULAR TO THE GATA FORM BUT HAS WIDER CHEEKS AND THE CURVE CONTINUES FARTHER DOWN THE LEGNTH OF THE CLUB SHAFT. I FIND THIS ESTHETICALY PLEASING IN THE WELL DONE FORMS. NOT ALL SALI ARE THIS GRACEFUL AND THERE ARE VARIATIONS REFERRED TO BY THI NAME SALI, CALI OR TEBETEBE . THESE CLUBS ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN NAMED AFTER THE CLAWED SALI FLOWER ONE OF THE BANNANA LIKE PLANTS. CLUNIE STATES " THEIR LONGER BROADER CHEEKS AND THEIR MORE HIGHLY DEVELOPED CREST OR SPUR DISTINGUISH THEM FROM GATA CLUBS". THEY WERE FIGHTING CLUBS BUT SAID TO BE USED IN DANCING OFTEN HELD BY THE SPUR DURING THE DANCE. THE FIRST EXAMPLE IS THE CLASSIC FORM THE OTHERS ARE IDENTIFIED AS SALI BUT IF SO ARE LESS CLASIC IN FORM. THE WARRIOR IN THE PICTURE HAS A SALI AND THERE IS A PICTURE OF ONE IN THE PICTURE OF FIJI CLUBS. BELOW THAT ARE PICTURES OF 3 EXAMPLES OF A UNUSUAL FORM NOW ON THE MARKET SOMETIMES REFERED TO AS A SALI ONE EXAMPLE IS INLAYED WITH SHELL IT IS 41 IN. X 9 IN.. THIS CLUB DOSEN'T APPEAR IN PARTINGTONS OR IN CLUNIES BOOK. EXCEPT THERE IS A PICTURE ON PLATE 10 IN CLUNIES BOOK BY REV. THOMAS WILLIAMS WITH A DRAWING DESCRIBED AS A GATA WITH A UNUSUAL SNAIL LIKE HEAD. THIS IS THE ONLY BASIS FOR THIS FORM OF CLUB I HAVE FOUND. I DID NOT FIND INFORMATION ON THE REV.WILLIAMS SO DATE AND TIME AS WELL AS THE ACCURACY OF THE DRAWINGS ARE UNKNOWN. THE LAST TWO ARE OF A UNUSUAL FORM SOLD TO ME AS A SALI BUT IT IS ONLY 24 X 7.5 INCHES I CONSIDER IT A GATA PERHAPS FOR DANCE BUT IT DOES SHOW PATINA AND WEAR AND WOULD BE AN EFFECTIVE WEAPON. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 4th September 2013 at 12:45 AM.

6th September 2013, 04:13 PM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	CONTINUING THE TONGAN FORMS OF FIJI CLUBS SEEN ON PLATE 9 CLUNIES BOOK. #1 THRU 4. A FAN SHAPED EXAMPLE, 78 X 17 CM. LONG, NOTE CARVING DESIGN IS TAVATAVA DESIGN #5 THRU 8. MORE EXAMPLES OF THE SQUARE ENDED FORM MANY WITH TONGAN FULLY CARVED DESIGNS. NOTE PICTURE 5 ITEM AIM14702 HAS TAVATAVA DESIGN #9 THRU 12. TONGAN FORM 1900, THREE FEET LONG, THIS EXAMPLE HAS TAVATAVA DESIGN CARVING. THE LUG ON THE BUTT OF THESE CLUBS SOMETIMES WITH A HOLE FOR A CORD IS A TONGAN FEATURE BROUGHT TO FIJI. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 6th September 2013 at 04:30 PM.