i Ula Tavatava

human history

i Ula Tavatava. Throwing club. i Ula are carved from the rootstock of a hardwood tree. It is intended as a weapon that can be gripped in the hand or thrown in short range distances at assailants. This i Ula Tavatava consists of a lobed head and long slender adjoining handle. The head is carved into eight concentric lobes with a central flanged dome. The dome has a shallow drilled depression at its centre, with four additional spaced around points at the upper areas of the lobes. There are several small fissures in the wood of the lobes. The handle is a tapered cylindrical shape that flares slightly towards the butt. A hole is visible through the middle of the handle. The lower grip end of the handle is carved in tavatava (shallow incisions), zigzag in design. There is a crack in the butt of the handle, as well as a small drilled hole at its centre. The i Ula is medium brown in colour and has a glossy patina.

Accession number: 1925.146 Last Update: 20 Sept 2018
Other Name

Throwing club (English)

Place
Fiji
Accession Number

1925.146

Accession Date

06 Mar 1925

Other Id

14261 (ethnology)

Department

Pacific

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i Ula Tavatava, 1925.146, 14261, Photographed by Richard Ng, digital, 15 Sep 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply Cultural Permissions Apply
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