Club

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Culture Tongan

Title Club (Apa'apai)

Date Late 18th or early 19th century

Medium Wood

Dimensions Object: 37 1/4 × 2 15/16 × 3 1/16 in. (94.6 × 7.5 × 7.8 cm)
Overall: 37 1/4 × 2 15/16 × 3 1/16 in. (94.6 × 7.5 × 7.8 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 77.34.5

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About this Work

Two-handed war clubs such as this were the favored weapon in Tonga during the eighteenth and into the nineteenth centuries. This beautifully carved club is known as apa’apai, which means coconut stalk, a reference to its form. The most remarkable aspect of the club is its surface, which is covered with relief carving. In addition to compartmentalized geometric patterns (particularly zigzags), lizards, birds, and men are also carved in relief over its length. One figure, identified by his tall, halo-shaped feathered headdress, represents the Tu’i Tonga, the title given to the political and spiritual leader of Tonga.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Club | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=77.34.5