Priest's staff Tonga Wood L. 115 cm Provenance... - Lot 24 - Giquello

Lot 24
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Estimation :
6000 - 8000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 7 150EUR
Priest's staff Tonga Wood L. 115 cm Provenance... - Lot 24 - Giquello
Priest's staff Tonga Wood L. 115 cm Provenance : - Collected between 1826 and 1859 by Reverend John Thomas (1797-1881) - By descent to the present owner This exceptional piece does not seem to correspond to any other comparable club or staff. Too thin to be effective in combat, this object is nevertheless made with great care. A large star-shaped inlay of marine ivory was originally inserted in the pommel. Its swollen end shows significant wear, as if this stick had been used to hit the ground. The particular balance of the object, its delicate appearance and its wear are similar to a ritual described by Thomas Williams (1884, in Clunie, 2003): The priest looks around and, as if the god were speaking, exclaims "I am leaving", also announcing his own departure by throwing himself violently on the mat, or by suddenly striking the ground with a club in order to inform the people in the vicinity [...] that the god has returned to the world of spirits. Mariner, who stayed in Tonga between 1806 and 1810, also describes a comparable scene: The priest then remains calm and takes a club placed in front of him, turns it over and looks at it attentively. He then raises his gaze very seriously, and puts it to the right and then to the left several times. After a while, the priest raises the club and, after a moment's pause, strikes the ground or house with great force; as the Reverend Walter Lawry: I have in my possession, among the relics of Mua, a club which has belonged to the priests for several generations, its name is halah, meaning 'way'. When the chiefs came to consult the priest, this sacred club was taken out, the priest was incarnated by the divinity and delivered his message, sometimes in an enraged way or on the contrary, calmly. The club was then struck on the beam of the house and the fahe gehe withdrew as he saw fit. Although the Thomas manuscript does not provide any details on the function of this object, it is possible that this stick was used in comparable ceremonies.
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