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Club (totokia)
Fiji
20th century, 1950–2000
Object Place: Fiji
Medium/Technique
Wood
Dimensions
Overall: 90 x 26 x 12 cm (35 7/16 x 10 1/4 x 4 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession Number2009.2748
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsContemporary Art, Africa and Oceania
ClassificationsArms and armor
The Fijian archipelago is comprised of over 300 islands that span 850 kilometers of ocean. Combat amongst the Fijians was particularly prevalent and wars were a driving force behind the social and economic life of Fijian chiefdoms. War clubs were particularly privileged amongst the Fijians and each type of club, which could take years to make, was made for a specialized use. The most notable feature of the totokia is the circular head with barbs from which protrudes a pointed beak. The beak, which was used to produce a hole in the head of the club-bearers victim, made the totokia a popular weapon.
Inscriptionssmall white adhesive label at base of handle(illegible mostly): "1-10-XX"
Provenance1981, sold by Hurst Gallery, Cambridge, MA to Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)