Fijian Priestly Spear

A very rare, and early chiefly, or priestly, fighting spear called saisai soni armed with five prongs. The long, smooth points are carefully bound together onto the haft as a conical spread with a complexe binding of thick braided coconut fiber rope or sinnet. Most of the saisai soni spears have only two, three or four points thus this rare example with five is most unusual.

Fiji, Polynesia. 
Ironwood (Casuarina equisetifolia) and coconut fiber with a fine patina of age and use.
207 cm. 
XIXth century or earlier.


 

Literature: Pub.:
CASSE-TÊTE : ARMES ET ARMEMENTS DE L'OCÉANIE. Exhibition catalogue, Gal. Meyer, Paris, 1989, pages 42/43, N° 62.
CASSE-TÊTE II - Clubs & Weapons of Oceania. Exhibition catalogue, Gal. Meyer, Paris, 2022 for Parcours des Mondes, pages 198/199, N° 67.

See another example in the collection of James Hooper inv. N° 915 and one in the British Museum collection, photographed by Stephen Thompson (1830-1893) before 1872 as part of the collection formed by Henry Christy (1810-1865).