Fiji I Ula Tavatava Ex Norman Hurst

Provenance: Ex coll. : Norman Hurst, Cambridge, USA, N° NH-1127 04-0. 

Norman Hurst was a renowned dealer of Tribal, Asian and Ancient art based in Cambridge Massachusetts. His personal preference was Polynesian art and moreover the superbly balanced and patinated “ethnographic” objects such as clubs, headrests, fishhooks, bowls etc. He had lovingly installed his marvelous and extensive Fijian collection in the WC of his apartement above the gallery on Mount Auburn Street. Visitors usually spent very long periods of time in this small intimate space enjoying the display of museum quality Fijian art works such as this club.

Literature: According to Fergus Clunie (2003: 95), “[a] tally of the kills made with a club was often kept by means of nicks or notches on the head or handle, by boring small holes in the shaft, another common method being to inlay a tooth from each victim in the club's head.” Ref .: Clunie, Fergus. Fijian Weapons & Warfare. Suva: Fiji Museum, 2003.

Pub. : CASSE-TÊTE II : ARMES ET ARMEMENTS DE L'OCÉANIE. Exhibition catalogue, Gal. Meyer, Paris, 2022, pages pp. 150-153