Context (CMS Context)
Catalogue card 1 reads [stamped in black ink:] 'Z 2801 FIJI'. [typed:] 'Navuso, Naitasiri district (Rewa) dis. & Province. Viti Levu. Comb, "Na ceba Kai Colo: worn by the mountain tribes "Kai colo" on ceremonial occasions, placed in the wig, "big head", over the forehead. Manufactured of the "sasa", midrib of cocoanut leaf.' [added in pencil:] 'New spelling Na themba Kai tholo. Ceba means the comb'. [stamped in blue ink:] 'THE VON HÜGEL COLLECTION CIRCA 1875.' [in pencil in the bottom left corner:] '3/9'. [stamped in blue ink in the bottom right corner:] 'SHOW CASE NUMBER 3'. The original von Hugel label pasted to the card [handwritten in brown ink:] '28 b. (Na / Ceba / Kai Colo / Ai Seru / Coast Mountaineers / Kai Colo ? Comb. Dress occasions. Procured at Navuso, Rewa '76 A.v.H.' on one side and 'Worn stuck into big head over the forehead. manufactured of sasa midrib of coconut leaf' on the other. [in pencil on the back of the card:] 'Translation of label: "28 b (Na) ceba (Kai Colo) (Ai Seru) (Coast) mountaineers (Kaicolo) comb. Dress occasions. Procured at Navuso, Rewa '76. AvH. Observe: worn stuck into big head. Manufacture of sasa midrib of coconut leaf.'
Catalogue card 2 reads [handwritten in black ink:] 'Z 2801. Navuso Naitasiri. Rewa district & province. VITI LEVU. Comb "Na ciba kai Colo" worn by the mountain tribes "Kai colo" on ceremonial occasions, placed in the wig, "big head', over the forehead. Manufacture of the "sasa". midrib of coconut leaf. Show Case number 3.' [added in pencil:] 'New spelling Na themba Kai Tholo. Ceba means the comb'. [in pencil in the bottom left corner:] '3/9'. [in pencil on the back of the card:] 'on the original index card, there is a discoloured label attached & in pencil the following: - Translation of label: "28 b (Na) ceba (Kai Colo) (A? These?) coast mountaineers (Kai Colo) comb. Dress occasions. Procured at Navuso, Rewa '76. AvH. Observe: worn stuck into big head. Manufacture of sasa midrib of coconut leaf.'
Event Date 1/6/1996
Author: maa

Description (CMS Description)
Comb. Manufactured of the "sasa", midrib of coconut leaf.
Event Date 1/6/1996
Author: maa

Context (CMS Context)
Labels & inscriptions: A small rectangular metallic label attached to the comb reads 'Z. 2801' inscribed in white ink. Original von Hugel label pasted to the catalogue card [handwritten in brown ink:] '28 b. (Na / Ceba / Kai Colo / Ai Seru / Coast Mountaineers / Kai Colo ? Comb. Dress occasions. Procured at Navuso, Rewa '76 A.v.H.' on one side and 'Worn stuck into big head over the forehead. manufactured of sasa midrib of coconut leaf' on the other.
Event Date 29/10/2013
Author: Lucie Carreau

Context (CMS Context)
Collected by Anatole von Hugel in 1876.
Event Date 29/10/2013
Author: Lucie Carreau

Description (CMS Description)
Comb formed of 22 length of sasa (midrib of coconut leaf) bound together with a tight lashing of coir. On both sides, the three last midribs are 4 cm longer than the rest of the midribs at the top. The central midrib is 24.5 cm longer than the other strips at the top. The two adjacent midribs are about 8.8 cm longer than the rest at the top. Most of the lashing is decorated with very small beads of various sizes and colour (white, pale blue, dark blue, red) woven into the lashing or used as very thin and short tassels. A number of beads and tassels have fallen off / broken off. The transition between the handle and the prongs is lashed with dark coir into which have been woven blue and red beads forming alternating rectangles. The prongs are of almost equal length and slightly fan out from the lashing. One side of the comb is much darker than the other (stained?).
Event Date 29/10/2013
Author: maa

Context (CMS Context)
Exhibited: 'Chiefs & Governors: Art and power in Fiji', Cambridge MAA, 7 June 2013 - 19 April 2014.
Event Date 25/4/2014
Author: Remke van der Velden

Conservation ()
CON.2013.18 |
Event Date 1/3/2016
Author: maa

Context (Amendments / updates)
While historic provenances included official place names such as Colo East, Colo West etc, the names 'Kai Colo and the anglicanised 'Kai Tholo' are disparaging terms. This was used to refer to groups in the interior, such as 'Colo people', rather than 'Colo', meaning hill or mountain. The closest polite translation is 'hillbillies', but it is/was often used more abusively.
From notes by Professor Nicholas Thomas, 20/7/2020
Event Date 20/7/2020
Author: rachel hand