War club from Fiji. This is a general ‘snake’ type club, but with distinctive ‘waka kiakavo’ ridges at the back of the head. The whole is highly polished.

Such weapons acted as both ceremonial and functional objects, and were carefully developed while cultivating the living tree. The distinctive ridges were beaten into the tree while still growing, and the branch would be trained into the curved shape.

This example was collected by William Kershaw, able seaman on the missionary ship 'John Williams I', and then entered the collections of the London Missionary Society.