Fijian Throwing Club Ula Tavatava (was Tribal Pestle)

Any thoughts on this? It has some nice inlaid bone or something and some ornamental lines. It's 16 inches long. It's not very heavy nor very light as far as woods go.

The mortar as far as I can remember was married to it although I might have got them at the same thrift shop as far as I know. It was on two different occasions. It is a little odd to see a mortar the same size as a pestle but not sure the granite (?) mortar is what this tribe would have used.

 

They seem to fit in a functional way. There isn't much danger in hammering down on the edges of the pestle with careful use.

 

I think that's a Fijian war club, and nothing to do with the mortar!

 

I agree, Pacific warclub.
You could push the mortar very tightly over it, for a better result in combat.

 

You could end up going with it when swung lol.

 

There doesn't seem to be a big market in reproductions of these from a google search. Do you think this was made for the tourist market?

 

Make bread, not war.

 

Search for 'ula tavatava'.

 

I think it isn't antique, but it is nice quality. Fijians themselves would also buy one, if it was suited to their status.

 

fiji throwing club gets the most results.

 

It is a throwing club, you're supposed to let go.

 

Yes, that's what it is. Specifically an ula tavatava, imo.

 

the mortar is delicious......a nice show piece...

the throwing club is not an old antique ....( I've held several....) but a nice modern carving in it's own right ..

 

It could be Indonesian, we have a similar one from Indonesia, with matching pestle.

 

Is the seam-like line just a coincidence?

 

It seems to end in a semi-circular shape? Maybe a decoration?
Ours doesn't have it.

 

Does it recur on the opposite side?

 

If you look at the first photo, there seem to be two similar opposed lines on the rim.