Vunikau bulibuli club

Reference : 207

Vunikau bulibuli club

Wood (casuarina equisetifolia), sperm whale ivory(P. macrocephalus)
Dimensions : Height 113.5cm
Presumed period: ^19th century
Fiji Archipelago

Source :
Private collection, Paris
Jean Edouard Carlier Collection, Paris
Private collection, Nice

Publication:
Voyageurs & Curieux, 2005. Archipelagos Fiji, Tonga, Samoa.reproduced Pl.125 p.101

More details

This club has been made by preserving the natural roots at its tip, which have been inlaid with sperm whale ivory. The grip is engraved in light relief with vertical and transverse bands decorated with zigzag motifs.

The pommel is also adorned with an ivory pastille.

This type of club was one of the most popular forms used by Fijian warriors in battle, due to its large size, weight and the density of its wood, toa, the ironwood referred to by Polynesians.

It was used to stun or break the bones of enemies by percussion.

The marine ivory inlays on this type of club were a sign of prestige and mana for its owner.

Price: €12,000

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