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1 of 253523 objects
Throwing club (iula tavatava) nineteenth century
Wood | 42.5 x 10 cm (whole object, diameter) | RCIN 74623
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A dark wooden Fijian throwing club (iula tavatava) with a spherical head carved with bulbous oval projections and a slender integrated handle with circular cross-section. Panels of dots are pricked into the surface of the shaft near the head and there are larger ridge indentations carved into the handle at the proximal end. The small dots pricked on the surface of the shaft indicate the passage of time, which is carefully marked during Fijian ritual feasts and ceremonies of mourning. Missile clubs of this type were sometimes used for hand-to-hand combat but they were most effective when thrown, and were capable of delivering devastating blows.
Provenance
Presented to Queen Elizabeth II by People of Fiji, December 1953
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Creator(s)
(nationality)Acquirer(s)
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Medium and techniques
Wood
Measurements
42.5 x 10 cm (whole object, diameter)
Category
Object type(s)
Alternative title(s)
Iula tavatava
Place of Production
Fiji