Club
Referred to as sali, cali or tebetebe, according the museum catalogues of the Fiji Museum, these clubs are named after the clawed sali flower of one of the wild banana-like plants (Musa sp.) which grow in the Fiji bush. The sali is a heavier style of club related to the gata. Both types were trained into their curved shape as saplings, meaning that the finished club has the tree’s unbroken grain throughout.
Their longer broader cheeks, and their highly developed crest or spur distinguishes them from the gata clubs. Used in the same way, the bladed cheeks being designed to cut through sap and bone rather than smash it. It has been claimed that the spur was used like the beak of the totokia battle hammer to penetrate the skull in combat; also to parry an adversary’s blow. Claims that cannot be substantiated.
Their longer broader cheeks, and their highly developed crest or spur distinguishes them from the gata clubs. Used in the same way, the bladed cheeks being designed to cut through sap and bone rather than smash it. It has been claimed that the spur was used like the beak of the totokia battle hammer to penetrate the skull in combat; also to parry an adversary’s blow. Claims that cannot be substantiated.
Object Summary
- Accession Loan No.
- 31/1986
- Category
- Ethnography
- Collection Class
- Arms and armour
- Collection Area Region
- POLYN
- Material
- wood
- Common Name
- club
- Simple Name
- club
- Production Country
- Fiji
- Production Year High
- 1986
