Ulutoatagne

Known as ulutoatagne, these two male dart heads are made from sperm whale ivory and originate from Fiji. The female version of these dart heads were known as ulutoayalewa. These dart heads were commonly made from dense casuarina wood and it is rare to find them made from ivory. The darts were fitted onto the ends of long gasau reed shafts.

These were cast by teams of men from rival clans in the highly competitive and sexually charged sport of veitiqa. The darts were thrown, sometimes with the assistance of a throwing cord, so they skipped and skidded along a flat pitch at great velocity for a remarkable distance. The aim was to send them the greatest distance.

Rivalry was intense, with much banter and baulking of the opposition by girls of the other clan. The contests were rowdy affairs discouraged by missionaries aware of the contests’ pagan and sexual overtones, and by the colonial authorities concerned about the brawling and sometimes fatal accidents that occurred due to ricocheting darts.