£2,900
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Oceanic Weapons – Selected prestigious tribal art from Tonga, Samoa, New Zealand and Fiji
Nicholas Wells Antiques are Specialist Tribal Art Dealers in London. We offer superb ceremonial quality tribal weapons such as the Fijian Sali, with tidy piercing into the head of the club were also perfectly capable combat weapons, the hard Vesi / ironwood was both dense and incredibly strong. These weapons with a pronounced edge may be compared to the European battle-axe. Slowly cut and intricately detailed only with shells these early tribal artworks are truly incredible and pre-date the arrival of metal utensils.
£2,900
The rootstock club, like the Ula Drisia, is fashioned from a Vesi tree grown specifically for the purpose, the perfectly straight shaft is in contrast to the Sali and the Gata which were encouraged to grow with a curve. The rootstock is another Fijian tribal combat weapon, both brutal and solid more akin to a European mace. Ours retains its original choir chord wrap made from twisted sinnet and incised decorative Tava Tava on the handle.
Clubs – the most primitive weapon are greatly prized by the Fijian. Those which belong to distinguished warriors have emphatic names, e.g A saut, lamolamora, “For war, though all be at peace.” Na tagi, ka kere bole, “The Weeping (ie for the dead I slew) urges me again to action” Veitalakote, “The disperser.” Kadiga ni damuni, “Damaging beyond Hope.”
Williams, Thomas: Fiji and The Fijians, 1858
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