Description:

South Pacific / Oceania, Melanesia, Fiji Islands, ca. 19th century CE. Wow! A beautifully preserved wooden spear or javelin, sometimes known as a sokilaki, carved from a single thick spur of dense hardwood, with four large rows of six prongs roughly halfway down the body and ten rows, again of six prongs, that decrease in size up the body until the tip, which is very long and sharply pointed. Two rows of fine cord (magimagi) are between the two registers of prongs. This is one of the many styles of Fijian spear, who used them both for fishing and war, of which this is an example of the latter. The brittle barbs were designed to break off in the body of an enemy. Size: 2.55" W x 83.25" H (6.5 cm x 211.5 cm); 85" H (215.9 cm) on included custom stand.

See a very similar example at the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology: http://maa.cam.ac.uk/spear-z-3949/

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection

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#138249

  • Condition: Very light surface wear commensurate with age. One barb on lowest ring of barbs is completely missing and the empty space has been lightly sanded over. A few others are missing their tips. Otherwise in excellent condition.

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January 24, 2019 7:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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