Nifo 'Oti War Club
Samoan
Navigator Islands - Samoan Islands
Late 19th century (ca. 1870 - 1900)
Ironwood (Casuarina Equisetifolia ?)
Width: 21,9cm
Tooth and Hookbill: 50,8cm
Total Length: 102,9cm
Collection Date: 2020
Collection Number: 149

Ex. Rick Stroud: Raleigh, North Carolina, USA (2020)

A very large and heavy Samoan war club known as the nifo 'oti or cane knife. Its name derives from "nifo," meaning, tooth, and "oti," meaning to cut or edge. Unlike most Polynesian weaponry, this form is entirely unique to Samoa and is considered the national weapon of the island. The first nifo 'oti may have been modeled on cane knives or the blubber knife of early nineteenth century English and American whalers. The form was quickly replicated using local ironwood, and these clubs became a popular weapon in the Samoan Civil wars of the mid to late 1800s, which can be seen in old photographs from the time period.

The club is carved from a single piece of wood, probably from the casuarina equisetifolia, a form of ironwood, and one of the hardest timbers in the world. The handle is quite large, pentagonal shaped with five faced planes. The toothed edged contains a row of fifteen triangular beveled teeth. The head, composed of a large arched bill hook. The top half on both sides are completely decorated with incised geometric designs of triangles, zig-zags, and linear carvings (tava tava).

A rare, old, and authentic war club with larger than average dimensions. Some age related scuffs and scratches. Two teeth are broken, with two being chipped. A small chip is present to the billhook. Similar examples can be found in the online collections of the Te Papa Tongarewa Musuem in New Zealand.

[1] http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=17648&highlight=oceanic+clubs&page=3 (Featured in Post #63)

[2] https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/152878

[3] https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/1327454

[4] https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/163687?page=1&rtp=1&ros=1&asr=1&assoc=all&mb=c

[5] https://prm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/prm-object-67285

[6] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Oc1954-06-337

[7] http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=17648&highlight=oceanic+clubs