Accession No
Z 2720
Description
Ear plug; Ear ornament - Ear ornament of reputed coconut with inlaid ring. Rare. Worn only by the family of the "mbele" or priest. This as stated by Wilkinson, missionary.
Place
Oceania; Polynesia; Fiji; Vanua Levu
Period
Source
von Hügel, Anatole Andreas Aloys (Baron) [collector and donor]
Department
Anth
Reference Numbers
Z 2720; 1923.H115
Cultural Affliation
Material
Nut; Wood; Shell
Local Term
Saunidaliga [Fiji Project]
Measurements
Events
Description (CMS Description)
Ear ornament of reputed coconut with inlaid ring. Rare. Worn only by the family of the "mbele" or priest. This as stated by Wilkinson, missionary.
Event Date 1/6/1996
Author: maa
Context (CMS Context)
Catalogue card 1 reads: [stamped in black ink:] 'Z 2720 FIJI'. [Typed:] Vanua Levu. Ear ornament of reputed coconut, with inlaid ring. Rare, worn only by the family of the 'mbete' or priest. This as stated by Wilkinson, missionary. (Sau ni diliga = ear ornament) ['N' added in pencil before 'diliga']. [added in blue pen:] 'A ring (6.5 cm diameter) inlaid with 7 (1 missing) small shell discs. [Stamped in black ink:] 'THE VON HÜGEL COLLECTION CIRCA 1875.' [in pencil in the bottom left corner:] '1/189'. [stamped in blue ink in the bottom right corner:] 'SHOW CASE NUMBER 1'. A round red sticker pasted on the card.
Catalogue card 2 reads: [handwritten in black ink:] 'Z 2720 VANUA LEVU. Ear ornament of reputed cocoanut, with inlaid ring. Rare, worn only by the family of the "mbete" or priest. This as stated by Wilkinson, missionary (Sau ninsilinga = ear ornament). Show Case number 1'.
Event Date 25/10/2012
Author: Lucie Carreau
Description (CMS Description)
Circular earplug, dark brown in colour, made from ?coconut wood with large circular hole through the centre. The outer and inner edging on both sides have crenelated edges. The topside is inlaid with 7 circular white shell beads. An eighth bead is missing. The other side has 3 circular shell beads and 3 holes where beads are missing. There is also a brown paper/wood residue on the underside of the earplug. There are shallow grooves carved on each edge of the side (possibly to hold strings of beads). There is also a crack running all the way through the earplug on one side. 'Z- 2720' inscribed in white ink on one side.
Event Date 25/10/2012
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
FM:109248
Images (Click to view full size):