War Club ('u'u)

The ‘u’u was the most prestigious weapon of the Marquesan warrior caste. Heavy and long, ‘u’u were carried in both battle and daily life They served not only as effective weapons in hand-to-hand combat but also symbolized the high status of a warrior or chief. Clubs of this type were made of ironwood (Casuarina equisetifolia). The Marquesan word for ironwood, toa, was also used to refer to the most important warrior leaders. After the carving was completed by special craftsmen called tuhuna, these clubs were cured in the mud of a taro field in order to produce a dark brown coloration. They were then polished with coconut oil, which resulted in a fine glossy finish.

Although the decorations differ slightly from one club to another, each ‘u’u conforms to the same general design. The most distinguishing feature is the large stylized human face that dominates the double-sided head. Small projecting human heads form the eyes and nose of the large face. Other small faces are incised above the eyebrow and on both edges of the flared head. The radiating lines surrounding the eyes of the large face and the motifs of concentric U-shaped curves in the horizontal bands on the neck below the crossbar are patterns also found in Marquesan tattoos.

-Becky Fogel, Class of '07