A fine and rare Tongan club, Kingdom of Tonga

bovai, of cylindrical form, with forty sperm whale (physeter catodon) tooth inlays, including representations of a star, dog, and birds, each secured by a central brass peg, and a sperm whale (physeter catodon) tip; fine medium brown, partially lustrous patina.

James T. Hooper, Arundel
Christie's, London, June 17, 1980, lot 93
Acquired at the above auction

Steven Phelps, Art and Artefacts of the Pacific, Africa and the Americas: The James Hooper Collection, London, 1976, p. 170, pl. 92, cat. 712

Good condition overall for an object of this rare type; of 40 inlays, 13 were restored after 1976 as can be concluded from Phelps catalogue text (Phelps 1976: 426, cat. 712) where it says "thirteen others [inlays] missing".
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

According to Phelps (1976: 164), the Rosenthal club "was probably not intended for active service, but for the ceremonial use of a chief. Whale ivory was a highly valued commodity and only adorned the property of men of rank and wealth."

The bovai club type is a form not exclusive to Tonga but also found on Fiji; for other examples created in Tonga without inlay see Phelps (1976: 170, pl. 92, cats. 708-710). For the extensive contact between the Tonga and Fiji populations see loc. cit. (174 et seq.). The practice of attaching the sperm whale inlays with brass, lead or copper pegs is known from some other Fijian works (cf. Cluny 1986: 75, cat. 120; 77, cat. 122; 164, text to cats. 120 and 122) and allows to date the Rosenthal club to the mid-19th century.

For another Tongan club with sperm whale inlay showing similar iconography (stars and crescents), also previously in the Hooper Collection, see Sotheby's, New York, May 19, 2001, lot 41.