Club
Bowai with two distinct engraving hands and a falling spiral.
Bowai are tapering two handed clubs which were very popular on Fiji. Early examples have a short sleeve of engraving at the handle to enhance grip, while later example can be more extensively carved due to Tongan influence. Notches are usually taken to indicate the number of humans killed with the weapon. Bowai were also used as divinatory oracles in pre-Christian temple rituals, indicating an answer by falling from an upright position.
Bowai are tapering two handed clubs which were very popular on Fiji. Early examples have a short sleeve of engraving at the handle to enhance grip, while later example can be more extensively carved due to Tongan influence. Notches are usually taken to indicate the number of humans killed with the weapon. Bowai were also used as divinatory oracles in pre-Christian temple rituals, indicating an answer by falling from an upright position.
Object Summary
- Accession Loan No.
- 33/1953/5b
- Category
- Ethnography
- Collection Class
- Arms and armour
- Collection Area Region
- POLYN
- Material
- wood
- Common Name
- club
- Simple Name
- club
- Production Country
- Fiji
- Production Date
- 19th century
- Production Year High
- 1953
