Tokokia War Club

Fiji, Polynesia
Probably early voyager period, circa 1830 or earlier
35 x 10 in (88 x 23 cm)
Hardwood
Price Upon Request

Ex Private San Francisco Collection

Fiji material culture scholar Fergus Clunie describes the totokia as a beaked battlehammer owned by chiefs. The weight of the head of the club was concentrated in the point of the beak used to pierce skulls in battle. Its name comes from kedi-toki “toki” to peck; i toki: a bird’s beak.” Notice the hole near the tip of the club, a likely place for a tooth…human or whale. This club was well used. It displays many chipped knobs and the bottom also has two chips.