Gugu war club - Lot 71

Gugu war club Viti Levu, Fiji Islands Wood H. 109 cm Provenance: - Alessandro Zileri dal Verme (1863-1937): the object was probably acquired during his long voyage in 1887 aboard the ship Conrad. - By descent - Private collection in Turin, acquired directly from the family At the junction of Melanesia and Polynesia, Fiji is surrounded by Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. They comprise over 300 islands and islets (the largest of which are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu) and cover an area of 18,500 km². According to Philippe Peltier, the clubs were made by sculptors known as matai-ni malulu, and this type is among the most elaborate. A rare and powerful Gugu ceremonial club reproducing the stylized forms of the ququ butterfly fish. Of imposing size, the head of the object, adorned with a geometrical decoration on a wrought background, all ridges and protrusions, contrasts with the smooth handle of the object. Both an object of prestige and a formidable weapon, this club probably fulfilled a ceremonial function during the Naga initiation ritual. A similar example can be found in the Fiji Museum, and another in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum in New York.