Club (’akau tau)

18th century

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

This expertly incised ceremonial club may have belonged to the Tu’i Tonga, the highest-ranking chief. He is featured here wearing a feathered headdress, regalia that linked him to the creator god, Tangaloa. The surface of the club teems with animals and abundant life, including sprouting plants, turtles, and an octopus—species that were sacred to the Tu’i Tonga and reserved for his consumption alone.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Club (’akau tau)
Date: 18th century
Geography: Fiji
Culture: Tonga
Medium: Wood (toa)
Dimensions: L. 43 11/16 in. (111 cm)
Classification: Wood-Implements
Credit Line: Private collection, Mark Blackburn, Honolulu, Hawai'i
Rights and Reproduction: Mark and Carolyn Blackburn Collection, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing