A Fine Old Fijian War Club Polynesia 19th Century

A Fine Old Fijian War Club Polynesia 19th Century

This fine old Fijian War Club called Sali is of very good form. The club has incised circular designs on both sides of the club finial and the whole club with deep reddish-brown patina from generations of use.

Made from a single piece of hardwood, trees were grown specifically to be the right shape for a good club. Clubs were not only weapons but objects of veneration that held mana or great spiritual power. This example is likely early 19th Century, as it was collected in the late 19th century and at the time it was already significantly old.  In pre-European contact times, there was always the threat or actuality of fighting between different nearby tribal groups and villages, alliances were made and broken and time of violence was common in Fiji.  This club is in very good condition with only a small chip at the top of the club as seen in the photos, there are no restorations. When you hold it in your hands you can feel a perfect balance and weight that the artist achieved.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of Fijian & Polynesian Art.

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & New Zealand & Tonga and the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & Art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery.  I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com  where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours. 

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