Lapalapa

Lapalapa. Coconut-stalk club. This lapalapa is made form one piece of toa (iron wood).The handle of this lapalapa is cylindrical in shape and undecorated. The handle then widens out to a flat rectangular blade. The blade is decorated with mamanu (Samoan decorative motifs) comprised of triangular indents. These mamanu cover both sides of the entire blade. At the bottom of the handle is a triangular protrusion. This may have been created for a suspension hole, however it has not been drilled. Aside from the mamanu the entire lapalapa is smooth and coloured a dark brown colour. The tip of the blade is slightly uneven with one side raised and curved while the other is straight and squared. The name of this 'au'upega (weapon of war) is in reference to it's likeness to a coconut-stalk with it's cylindrical handle and flat, wide blade.