African & Oceanic Art | Antiquities - 8th June 2021
Lot 456
A Fiji club vivia gata
Estimate £1,000 - £1,500 | Hammer £900
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Description
A Fiji club vivia gata
Melanesia
with a spurred head and a ridged terminal and patterned dot decoration, with a rippled blade, trails of dots running along the handle to a knop butt, 19th century,
100cm long.
Vivia translates as to roll or coil and the ripples or coils seen on the blade are what gives this type of gata its name. They are likely to represent a coiled snake.