Fiji
18th century
Wood
Length: 59½ in. (151.1 cm)
Provenance: Finch and Company, London; London trade
The priest staff is among the least commonly encountered forms in Fijian material culture, distinct from war clubs in its association with ceremonial and religious authority rather than combat. This example is a long, tapering rod of dense hardwood, uniformly circular in section and covered along its full length with finely worked incised geometric decoration. The all-over surface treatment, applied with consistent density from tip to tip, is characteristic of objects made for persons of ritual standing in Fijian society.
The wood has developed a deep reddish-brown patina from sustained handling, the surface worn smooth in a manner consistent with ceremonial use over an extended period. The incised decoration remains clearly legible throughout, the fine cross-hatched and banded motifs executed with a regularity that reflects practiced hand work. Finch and Company, London, is a recognized specialist in Pacific and Oceanic material, and the London trade provenance is consistent with 18th-century Fijian objects that entered European collections through early contact networks.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Fiji
18th century
Wood
Length: 59½ in. (151.1 cm)
Provenance: Finch and Company, London; London trade
The priest staff is among the least commonly encountered forms in Fijian material culture, distinct from war clubs in its association with ceremonial and religious authority rather than combat. This example is a long, tapering rod of dense hardwood, uniformly circular in section and covered along its full length with finely worked incised geometric decoration. The all-over surface treatment, applied with consistent density from tip to tip, is characteristic of objects made for persons of ritual standing in Fijian society.
The wood has developed a deep reddish-brown patina from sustained handling, the surface worn smooth in a manner consistent with ceremonial use over an extended period. The incised decoration remains clearly legible throughout, the fine cross-hatched and banded motifs executed with a regularity that reflects practiced hand work. Finch and Company, London, is a recognized specialist in Pacific and Oceanic material, and the London trade provenance is consistent with 18th-century Fijian objects that entered European collections through early contact networks.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
