IDNO

P.87205.VH

Description

Dufty studio portrait of ‘Ratu Kini’, his right ear lobe, pierced and stretched to accept a since forsaken saunidaliga ear lobe ornament, shows that he grew up in the Fijian religion just as much as his clothing and hairstyle show him to be a Christian convert. He is wearing the collarless long-sleeved striped shirt popular with chiefs at the time, and wears a barkcloth isulu secured by a large gatu barkcloth waistband secured just beneath the ribs in the Tongan fashion favoured by chiefs when not actively engaged, and favoured by Christianity.
Circa 1875-1876. [Fergus Clunie, 26/7/2003]

Physical Condition: Print mounted onto card.

Place

Oceania Polynesia; Fiji; Ovalau Island; Levuka

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Ratu Kini

Photographer

Dufty Brothers, Levuka (Dufty, Francis Herbert)

Collector / Expedition

?von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)

Date

circa 1875 - 1876

Collection Name

Source

Format

Carte-de-visite; Print Black & White Mounted

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.87203 to P.87221 were in the Museum’s paper archive envelope, OA2/5/12, which has now been re-numbered C511/.

Photographer: Dufty’s Levuka studio is recognisable through his use of the sideboard with a plainer and paler base (see P.87333.VH for same? sideboard with darker decorative scroll work and leaves? added to it). The sideboard is normally positioned to the left of the studio. The brocade curtain patterned with a floral design framed by a diamond-shaped outline is also distinct to Dufty’s Levuka studio. This configuration of studio props appears to be used by Dufty between circa 1874 - 1876. The Photographer, Date, and Place fields have been amended accordingly. [JD 13/3/2012]

Related Image: This print appears to be the original image from which the associated photographs have been derived from. [JD 8/11/2011]

This print has been catalogued with the support of the Getty Grant Program One.