Club Called kailao. Futuna Island or Tonga, French Polynesia. Wood 19th century Height: 98cm This elegant club features the plastic characteristics attributed to pate clubs, accessories used during the "club dances" known in Tonga and Wallis & Futuna as kailao. These traditional warrior choreographies, mainly for men, feature mock battles in which pate clubs are struck on the ground to the beat of drums. The straight, oval-section handle is extended by a foliate blade, the two parts being distinctively linked by a ring carved in relief. The blade is divided symmetrically in two by a median rib running the full length of the blade, reinforcing the verticality of the composition. The entire piece is covered with finely engraved geometric motifs on the surface.

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