i Ula Tavatava

i Ula. 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 consists of a bulbous head and long, slender, adjoining handle. The head has multiple protrusions of gnarled wood that incorporate the natural fissures in the wood from the rootstock. A line of small dots carved into the wood lines the join connecting the underside of the head to the handle. The handle is long and cylindrical in shape with a large crack visible at the neck. Tavatava (shallow incisions) consisting of a zigzag design, are carved across the lower half of the handle in light relief. The i Ula is dark brown in colour and has a glossy patina.

Other Name

Throwing club (English)

Place

Fiji

Accession Number

1925.146

Accession Date

06 Mar 1925

Other Id

14262 (ethnology)

Department

Pacific