Oceanic Arms, Armor and Weapons

Waikato, 19th-century The patu is a traditional Māori hand weapon, iconic within New Zealand’s Māori culture. Crafted from materials such as wood, g...

A Patu a club style weapon used by the Maori tribe from New Zealand. A similar one is in the Michael C. Rockefeller wing at the Metropolitan Museum, New York City. This Patu is made ...

A Polynesian hardwood Ula tavatava or throwing war club Fiji, probably 18th century The top of the shaft decorated with a dotted pattern all around (possibly kill marks). Measures: Height. 44 cm Including museum-quality powder-coated stand. Provenance: Private collection, France Polynesian culture is traditionally a culture of power and prestige, and there was a fine line between battle and ceremony. Warrior people par excellence, the Fijians had at their disposal a large panoply of weapons, each for a specific use. The elegant Gata are called gun-sticks by Europeans due to the recognizable form. However, they are designed after a snake, gata in Fijian language. The Ula throwing clubs...

A Polynesian hardwood Totokia, war club or battle hammer Fiji, probably 18th century or earlier Measures: Height. 83 cm Including museum-quality powder-coated stand. Provenance: Private collection, France The curve in the Totokia club, used for obvious reasons, is made by carving into a living branch and bending it, closing the gaps, which will grow together again over the years. Weapons carried by the Tusken Raiders of Tatooine in George Lucas' Star Wars were inspired by the Totokia. Polynesian culture is traditionally a culture of power and prestige, and there was a fine line between battle and ceremony. Warrior people par excellence, the Fijians had at their disposal a large panoply of weapons, each for a specific use. The elegant Gata are called gun-sticks by Europeans due to the recognizable form. However, they are designed after a snake, gata in Fijian language. The Ula throwing clubs...

A traditional Maori staff (taiaha), carved from a single piece of hardwood and endowed with a deep, warm patina of age. The 'tongue' of the staff (arero), used to deliver stabbing bl...

Amazing collection of various war clubs and spears. Collection includes war clubs from Fijian and Tonga, paddle and spears from Papua New Guinea, and spear from Kenya. They are as follows from left to right in the main photo: Bamboo tip spear: Papua New Guinea, bamboo, string and cord, 43" x 1", 20th century. Tonga War club with Marine Ivory Inlays: Tonga, wood and marine shell, 40" x 6.5" x 2", 20th century. Carved wood club: Origin unknown, 23.75" x 1.25" x 1.25", circa 1920s Sepik carved wood paddle: Papau New Guinea, 44" x 4" x 1", circa 1920s Masaai Lion hunting spear: Kenya/Tanzania, iron, wood, fur, hide and bead cover, 75" x 2" x 1", late 19th century-20th century. Bamboo tip spear: Papua New Ginea, bamboo, string and cord, 39" x 1", early 20th century. Fijian War club...

A beautiful group of six clubs with pierced stone heads, slender shafts and warm patination. Such stone clubs were common implements in New Guinea and their carved heads took many sh...

A paddle-shaped whalebone club (patu) of Classic Maori form. Smoothed to a narrow plane, it was used to land thrusting blows with deadly speed. Commonly carved from basalt or bone, patu are iconic Maori objects that share a formal likeness to their greenstone counterparts, mere, which were wielded solely by chieftains. The small hole near the pommel was a typical feature of one-handed Maori weapons, used to secure a wrist cord.

Known as patu onewa, this paddle-like club is a classic Maori weapon form. Carved of basalt and smoothed to a narrow plane, it was used to land thrusting blows with deadly speed. Patu onewa share a close likeness to their greenstone counterparts, mere, which were wielded only by chieftans. The small hole near the pommel was a typical feature of one-handed Maori weapons, used to secure a wrist cord...

This paddle-like club is a classic Maori weapon form. Carved of basalt and smoothed to a narrow plane, it was used to land thrusting blows with deadly speed. The small hole near the pommel was a typical feature of one-handed Maori weapons, used to secure a wrist cord...

A rare lance from Niue in the South Pacific, formerly known as the "Savage Islands." With an iconic form and satisying shape, this lance is elegantly carved in the shape of an arrow ...

Known as patu onewa, this paddle-like club is a classic Maori weapon form. Carved of basalt and smoothed to a narrow plane, it was used to land thrusting blows with deadly speed. Patu onewa share a close likeness to their greenstone counterparts, mere, which were wielded only by chieftans. The small hole near the pommel was a typical feature of one-handed Maori weapons, used to secure a wrist cord...