MASSIVE 18TH- 19TH C. FIJIAN KIAKAVO WAR CLUB W/ SENNIT BINDING

Origin: W. Polynesia, Fiji     (Provenance: James Willis San Francisco)

Period/Date: Late 18th- early 19th century

Materials:  dense ironwood, breadfruit sap resin

Description:  I'm bringing this club to you since it is AMAZING on so many levels.  This a SERIOUS business club and weights 6 pounds!  It is the heaviest and thickest example I've ever see.  The circumference around the handgrip is so thick I can not even close my fingers around it.  What's also fascinating is that it is short but profoundly robust.  This club would have been ideal for finishing off a downed or captive enemy as well as killing pigs before feasts.  It is SO heavy that using it in direct combat would put the user at a disadvantage since it would be difficult to swing with any real speed.   Using this club on a stationary target, however, would be like dropping a boulder on top of it, no kidding!  Another desirable feature is that it retains 90 percent of its originally tightly woven sennit binding spanning the entire shaft.  Areas around the head have a blackened blistered patina which is likely dried blood.  The spur of the club suffered some loss a very long time ago.  It comes with a custom high quality bronze display stand.

Dimensions:   Length 31.5" (80cm), Overall Width 9" (23 cm),  Width at handgrip 2 5/8" (6.5 cm)

Price:  SOLD

This photos shows an old mount that I later had reworded, omitting the strap on the binding

Illustrating how thick its handgrip is!