IDNO

P.87266.VH

Description

Studio portrait of Ratu Savenaca, brother of Ratu Cakobau of Bau. See P.87206. [Fergus Clunie, 26/7/2003]

Cropped version of a studio portrait of “Ratu Savanaca [Ratu Savenaca], Cakobau’s brother”, sporting the flamboyant sweeping moustache and sideburns favoured by many chiefs from the late 1860’s through to about 1900. He is typically dressed as a Christian chief of his day, wearing a white jersey-type shirt with three-quarter length sleeves and a barkcloth isulu surmounted by a large waistband of gatu barkcloth wrapped just beneath the ribs in the Tongan fashion favoured by high chiefs when not actively engaged, and favoured by Christianity.
Circa 1869-1871. [Fergus Clunie, 26/7/2003, from record P.87206, JD 20/12/2011]

Place

Oceania Polynesia; Fiji; Ovalau Island; Levuka; Bau

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Ratu Savenaca

Photographer

Dufty Brothers, Levuka (Dufty, Francis Herbert)

Collector / Expedition

von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)

Date

circa 1867 - 1871

Collection Name

Von Hugel Collection

Source

Format

Photomechanical Print

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.87222.VH to P.87277.VH were found loose in the Museum’s paper archive envelope, VH1/4/7, which has now been re-numbered C512/.

P.87266.VH and P.87267.VH are printed on one sheet.

Photographer: This print was provisionally attributed to “?Dufty Brothers, Levuka”, but the uncropped duplicate print, P.87206. has been identified as Dufty’s Levuka studio through the recognicaton through the backdrop of foliage of banana? leaves to the right. The same chair also appears in a number of Dufty’s portraits. This configuration of studio props appears to be used by Dufty between circa 1869 - 1875. The Photographer and Place fields have been amended accordingly. [JD 12/3/2012]

Related Image: A set of the same or similar woodburytype from Dufty portraits are in the collections of the Pitt Rivers Museum, some of which are named, see reference 1998.237 [E. Edwards]

This print has been catalogued with the support of the Getty Grant Program One. [A. Nadin 2/7/2003]