Niue costume (male dance costume): katoua (cleaving weapon)

This is a katoua, a long club or cleaving club from Niue. Historically, katoua were used by warriors for self defence or warfare. They have been described by one observer as a piercing weapon (Loeb 1926: 130). In the late 20th century, the katoua became a symbol of Niuean cultural identity. It was most commonly used in male dance performances, and produced by carvers for use as souvenirs, presentation items or gifts.

Construction

The katoua in Te Papa are mostly carved from a dark brown wood and vary in length from just under a metre to almost two metres. A distinctive feature of their design is a central sharp ridge that runs along the length of the blade on both sides. The butt end is pointed, with a collar on the rounded shaft (Montague 1921: 82).

Some of the katoua in Te Papa’s collections have incised motifs at the butt end of the shaft, and a few are wrapped with a sennit (coconut-husk fibre) handle binding, decorated  with feathers, egg cowrie shells, and braided human hair. According to archaeologist Michael Trotter, egg cowrie shells were commonly found in burial caves on Niue and were also used for ornamentation (Trotter1979:14).

Hokimate Harwood (Te Papa’s Bicultural Science Researcher) identified some of the feathers attached to both katoua and Niuean tao (spears) as being from the belly of the kulukulu, or purple-capped dove, the tail of the henga, or blue-crowned lorikeet, and the back of the lupe, or Pacific pigeon (Ducula pacifica).

Acquisition History

This katoua was made for use in the annual ASB Polyfest in Auckland 2005. It was acquired from the makers after the event.

References

Akeli, S., & Pasene, S. (2011). Exploring ‘the Rock’: material culture from Niue Island in Te Papa’s Pacific Cultures collection. Tuhinga: Records of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 22, 101-124.

Loeb, E.M. (1926). History and traditions of Niue.Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin 32:1–226.

Montague, L.A.D. (1921). Weapons and implements of savage races (Australasia, Oceania, and Africa). London: The Bazaar,Exchange & Mart Office. viii + 239pp.

Trotter, M. (1979). Niue Island archaeological survey.Christchurch:Canterbury Museum.62pp