MOST DESIRED OCEANIC WAR CLUBS 3: FIJI

VANDOO · 28th December 2015, 10:20 PM

THIS TOTOKIA IS A SMALLER FASTER SIZE THAN MOST I HAVE SEEN BUT WOULD BE A LOT FASTER AND EASIER TO USE IN AN ACTUAL FIGHT. SOME OF THESE CLUBS ARE WAY TO LARGE AT THE GRIP FOR A FELLOW MY SIZE. THERE ARE FIJIANS WHO ARE LARGE ENOUGH TO USE THE LARGER CLUBS BUT I SUSPECT SMALLER ONES WERE THE NORM.
#1 THRU #4. FIJI TOTOKIA 26 INCHES LONG NATURAL FIBER WRAP GOOD HEAVY HARD WOOD
SAID TO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BACK BY A GREAT GRANDFATHER FROM HIS TRAVELS NO DATE BUT FROM THE PATINA AND WORKMANSHIP I SUSPECT SOMEWHERE AFTER WW1 PERHAPS EARLY 1930'S. ITS MINE NOW

VANDOO · 31st December 2015, 04:37 PM

AS THE OLD YEAR ENDS AND THE NEW BEGINS AN EXAMPLE OF THE OLD AND ONE OF THE NEW.

#1. A PICTURE OF SOME OLD FORMS OF FIJI CLUBS
#2. & #3. NEW FANTASY CLUB NO DOUBT THE WEAPON OF THE FEARED SEAHORSE WARRIORS OR JUST FOR HORSING AROUND.

#4. FIJI WARRIOR WITH AN AX

VANDOO · 26th January 2016, 03:29 AM

HERE ARE SOME VARIATIONS OF THE TOTOKIA WAR CLUBS HEADS AND SPIKES . THE OLDER FROMS WERE REFERRED TO AS TUKI BATTLE HAMMERS. THEY FEATURED A SHORT WIDE SPIKE OR NO SPIKE AT ALL. SEE PICTURES #1. THRU #5.
I WOULD GUESS THE SPIKE EVOLVED INTO A LONGER MORE NARROW FORM SOME WITH A SIMPLE SPIKE AND SOME THICKENED AND SHAPED AT THE TIP. SEE VARIATIONS #7. THRU #12.

#2. TUKI 18TH. CENTURY
#5. 92 CM. LONG TUKI
#8. TOTOKIA EARLY 19TH. CENTURY, 98 CM. LONG
#9. TOTOKIA CIRC 1960, 570 MM. LONG
#10. TOTOKIA WITH OVAL SHAPED HEAD AND THICKENED SPIKE 39.5 INCHES LONG
#11. CIRCA 1960'S TOTOKIA
#12. OLD PICTURE OF FIJI WARRIOR WITH TOTOKIA

VANDOO · 28th January 2016, 10:53 PM

PICTURE #1 & #2. ARE THE ONLY EXAMPLES OF TOTOKIA CLUBS WITH A SPIKE FASHIONED FROM A SPERM WHALE TOOTH THAT I HAVE PICTURES OF. IT BRINGS UP THE QUESTION WAS OTHER HARD MATERIALS EVER USED TO MAKE OR REPLACE A BROKEN SPIKE ON THIS FORM OF CLUB. SHELL AND BONE WOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE AND PERHAPS STONE AND LATER IRON. IS ANYONE AWARE OF SUCH VARIATIONS IN MUSEUMS?
#3. THE PICTURE IN THE POST ABOVE SHOWS WHAT MAY BE AN EXAMPLE OF THE RARE VUTU OR QUADRANGLE CLUB FORM. I HAVE MADE A CLOSE UP BUT IT IS STILL FAR FROM CERTAIN BUT IT WOULD BE COOL TO HAVE AN OLD PICTURE OF ONE. PICTURE #6 OLD VUTU CLUB FOR COMPARISON.
WHILE I AM ASKING QUESTIONS PICTURE #4 & #5. ARE OF A OLD FIJI OBJECT DESCRIBED AS A CEREMONIAL SCEPTER 17 INCHES LONG. IN MANY TRIBAL SOCIETY'S THEY HAVE USED MESSENGERS TO RUN FROM ONE KINGDOM TO ANOTHER CARYING A MESSAGE IN A STICK ONLY TO BE DELIVERED TO THE PERSON IT WAS FOR. WAS THIS METHOD EVER USED IN POLYNESIAN SOCIETY'S OR DID THEY JUST GIVE A VERBAL MESSAGE IF WRITING WAS NOT KNOWN.? IT COULD ALSO BE THE CHIEF'S FAN HANDLE.

Houkura · 1st February 2016, 03:21 PM

Thought I'd share one of my Fijian clubs. Nice Totokia deaccessioned from Haggerty Art Museum at Marquette University. Found at a decorators auction in Chicago several years ago.

VANDOO · 1st February 2016, 05:27 PM

A VERY FINE OLDER EXAMPLE WITH NICE PATINA AND CARVING.

IT APPEARS TO BE OF A REASONABLE SIZE NOT ONE OF THE VERY LARGE ONES WITH A GRIP AS BIG AROUND AS THE BIG END OF A BASEBALL BAT. WHAT ARE ITS MEASUREMENTS?. THANKS FOR SHARING AND ADDING IT TO THE REFERENCE.

Houkura · 1st February 2016, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VANDOO

A VERY FINE OLDER EXAMPLE WITH NICE PATINA AND CARVING.

IT APPEARS TO BE OF A REASONABLE SIZE NOT ONE OF THE VERY LARGE ONES WITH A GRIP AS BIG AROUND AS THE BIG END OF A BASEBALL BAT. WHAT ARE ITS MEASUREMENTS?. THANKS FOR SHARING AND ADDING IT TO THE REFERENCE.

It's actually pretty massive. Hard to swing (unless you are a huge Fijian warrior). I've seen bigger but yeah quite large. 90cm long, spiked head is about 17cm, spur is 11cm and handle is about 15cm circumference.

I've really enjoyed your posts here-thanks for taking the time. Lots of great information. You even have one of my clubs in one of the posts! It's a very small Culacula club that has a handle the size of an Ula handle and a small club head. I will try to find it and take a photo...it may be in my storage locker...

28th December 2015, 10:20 PM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THIS TOTOKIA IS A SMALLER FASTER SIZE THAN MOST I HAVE SEEN BUT WOULD BE A LOT FASTER AND EASIER TO USE IN AN ACTUAL FIGHT. SOME OF THESE CLUBS ARE WAY TO LARGE AT THE GRIP FOR A FELLOW MY SIZE. THERE ARE FIJIANS WHO ARE LARGE ENOUGH TO USE THE LARGER CLUBS BUT I SUSPECT SMALLER ONES WERE THE NORM. #1 THRU #4. FIJI TOTOKIA 26 INCHES LONG NATURAL FIBER WRAP GOOD HEAVY HARD WOOD SAID TO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BACK BY A GREAT GRANDFATHER FROM HIS TRAVELS NO DATE BUT FROM THE PATINA AND WORKMANSHIP I SUSPECT SOMEWHERE AFTER WW1 PERHAPS EARLY 1930'S. ITS MINE NOW Attached Images

31st December 2015, 04:37 PM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	AS THE OLD YEAR ENDS AND THE NEW BEGINS AN EXAMPLE OF THE OLD AND ONE OF THE NEW. #1. A PICTURE OF SOME OLD FORMS OF FIJI CLUBS #2. & #3. NEW FANTASY CLUB NO DOUBT THE WEAPON OF THE FEARED SEAHORSE WARRIORS OR JUST FOR HORSING AROUND. #4. FIJI WARRIOR WITH AN AX Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 31st December 2015 at 09:41 PM.

26th January 2016, 03:29 AM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	HERE ARE SOME VARIATIONS OF THE TOTOKIA WAR CLUBS HEADS AND SPIKES . THE OLDER FROMS WERE REFERRED TO AS TUKI BATTLE HAMMERS. THEY FEATURED A SHORT WIDE SPIKE OR NO SPIKE AT ALL. SEE PICTURES #1. THRU #5. I WOULD GUESS THE SPIKE EVOLVED INTO A LONGER MORE NARROW FORM SOME WITH A SIMPLE SPIKE AND SOME THICKENED AND SHAPED AT THE TIP. SEE VARIATIONS #7. THRU #12. #2. TUKI 18TH. CENTURY #5. 92 CM. LONG TUKI #8. TOTOKIA EARLY 19TH. CENTURY, 98 CM. LONG #9. TOTOKIA CIRC 1960, 570 MM. LONG #10. TOTOKIA WITH OVAL SHAPED HEAD AND THICKENED SPIKE 39.5 INCHES LONG #11. CIRCA 1960'S TOTOKIA #12. OLD PICTURE OF FIJI WARRIOR WITH TOTOKIA Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 26th January 2016 at 03:40 AM.

28th January 2016, 10:53 PM	#4
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	PICTURE #1 & #2. ARE THE ONLY EXAMPLES OF TOTOKIA CLUBS WITH A SPIKE FASHIONED FROM A SPERM WHALE TOOTH THAT I HAVE PICTURES OF. IT BRINGS UP THE QUESTION WAS OTHER HARD MATERIALS EVER USED TO MAKE OR REPLACE A BROKEN SPIKE ON THIS FORM OF CLUB. SHELL AND BONE WOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE AND PERHAPS STONE AND LATER IRON. IS ANYONE AWARE OF SUCH VARIATIONS IN MUSEUMS? #3. THE PICTURE IN THE POST ABOVE SHOWS WHAT MAY BE AN EXAMPLE OF THE RARE VUTU OR QUADRANGLE CLUB FORM. I HAVE MADE A CLOSE UP BUT IT IS STILL FAR FROM CERTAIN BUT IT WOULD BE COOL TO HAVE AN OLD PICTURE OF ONE. PICTURE #6 OLD VUTU CLUB FOR COMPARISON. WHILE I AM ASKING QUESTIONS PICTURE #4 & #5. ARE OF A OLD FIJI OBJECT DESCRIBED AS A CEREMONIAL SCEPTER 17 INCHES LONG. IN MANY TRIBAL SOCIETY'S THEY HAVE USED MESSENGERS TO RUN FROM ONE KINGDOM TO ANOTHER CARYING A MESSAGE IN A STICK ONLY TO BE DELIVERED TO THE PERSON IT WAS FOR. WAS THIS METHOD EVER USED IN POLYNESIAN SOCIETY'S OR DID THEY JUST GIVE A VERBAL MESSAGE IF WRITING WAS NOT KNOWN.? IT COULD ALSO BE THE CHIEF'S FAN HANDLE. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 28th January 2016 at 11:03 PM.

1st February 2016, 03:21 PM	#5
Houkura Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Posts: 5	Totokia Thought I'd share one of my Fijian clubs. Nice Totokia deaccessioned from Haggerty Art Museum at Marquette University. Found at a decorators auction in Chicago several years ago. Attached Images

1st February 2016, 05:27 PM	#6
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A VERY FINE OLDER EXAMPLE WITH NICE PATINA AND CARVING. IT APPEARS TO BE OF A REASONABLE SIZE NOT ONE OF THE VERY LARGE ONES WITH A GRIP AS BIG AROUND AS THE BIG END OF A BASEBALL BAT. WHAT ARE ITS MEASUREMENTS?. THANKS FOR SHARING AND ADDING IT TO THE REFERENCE.