A Fine Fijian War Club 'Gata' complete with it's sennit binding (1800 to 1900 Fijian)

wood and sennit

104.00cm high    (  40.94 inches high)

These Gata clubs represent the wide open jaws of the pacific Boa snake 'Gata' . A characteristic of the finer Gata clubs are the roughly carved parallel grooves on the upper inner side as on this example . These are deliberately made by carving with stone tools into the growing Ironwood sapling before it is harvested and fashioned into a club .
The sharp edge of this club was designed to break bones .

A Fine Fijian War Club ‘Gata’ complete with it’s sennit binding
Early 19 th Century

Size : 104 cm long – 41 ins long