Lot 96
AKAU TAU CLUB
TONGA ISLANDS
Auction: 26 November 2026 from 14:00 GMT
Description
carved wood, of tapering rhomboid form, flaring subtly at the base, the entire surface densely covered with finely engraved chip-carved geometric ornament arranged in panels and bands
Dimensions
73cm long
Provenance
Private collection, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, acquired 1960s - 1970s, thence by descent
Footnote
The present example is a finely carved akau tau war club, distinguished by its geometric form and characteristic angular facets. Although the precise symbolic significance of the designs and motifs found on Tongan clubs remains uncertain, they may echo patterns used in tattooing and barkcloth decoration, visual traditions that conveyed qualities associated with chiefly status.