Antique Clubs Tonga Islands Polynesia 19th Century
Collection No. | Tongan Clubs Left to Right A, B, C |
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Size | Left: 103cm Middle: 108cm Right: 82cm |
Tongan War Clubs are some of the most beautifully carved objects from Polynesia, they were objects of great prestige and hold Mana or spiritual power that was passed on thru generations and owners of a club. These fine examples all are from the 19th Century and are carved from a heavy dark wood and finely incised designs of their entire surface. The middle club in the photo is a massive club, so much bigger than the other two. Clubs in Tonga were historically to be found in a broad range of cultural contexts from warfare to sport, dance, religion and the complex of everyday use of the chiefly class. Clubs were significant artefacts in historical Tonga. The Kingdom of Tonga is a independent country in Polynesia in the Southern Pacific Ocean.
In the last photo it is shown being held by a Tongan Rugby Player in Sydney.
Provenance: The middle club was from a Sotheby’s Auction in New York which I can find the catalogue and date in the 1990s.
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