ART AND POWER IN FIJI

A very interesting exhibition held in the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge. These are various clubs, a water pot and two spirit houses displayed against the decorated bark backcloth.The large centre paddle club, 'culacula' suggests it belonged to a high ranking person. Some were inlaid with whale ivory and maybe a human tooth. Some notches and burnt marks commemorated time elapsed after a death. Spurred paddle clubs were used in Fiji prior to the introduction of firearms. Clubs were often pounded into shape whilst still growing on the tree and some were decorated with feathers for tribal dances. These items were collected in the late 1800's.