Rev John Thomas, Tongan war clubs collection.

A valuable collection of preserved Tongan artefacts, including five war clubs, a priest staff and a kali (headrest) dating back to the 1800’s are to be auctioned in England by Christie’s Auctions at the end of August.

The artefacts valued at between 85,000 and 133,000 Euros (USD$177,000) belong to descendants of the late Reverend John Thomas (1797 – 1881), a 19^th century Methodist missionary who played a huge role in the formulation of the Modern Tongan Kingdom in 1845. Thomas was a member of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society (WMMS) who was sent to Tonga in 1826. He baptised Taufa’ahau Tupou I and in 1845 enthroned Tupou I as King of Tonga.

During his stay in Tonga, Thomas started collecting Tongan clubs. He noted in his memoirs: “Today the King called and gave me a beautiful, carved club, called Hikuleo, this he said was the god worshipped at Uiha, one of the principal of the Haabai Islands from which place he said it had been sent to him. Hikuleo is the devil name.”

The most valuable of the collection is the “Vunikau Bulibuli” war club. Studded with ivory art its worth has been stated at 30,000 - 50,000 Euros.

Dr Nigel Statham, of Wollongong, Australia, who edited the memoirs of Rev John Thomas, published early this year, told Matangi Tonga Online that he was notified of the auction of the artifacts by a great-great-grand nephew of Rev. John Thomas. He believed that the descendants of Rev. John Thomas would consider an offer from Tonga to buy the artifacts before they were auctioned.