IDNO

P.87291.VH

Description

Raphael Tuck & Sons postcard, 1924, showing a group of “warriors” dressed for ceremony or dance in the traditional costume of the twentieth century. These are based on nineteenth century prototypes, but with much more voluminous and standardised liku overskirts worn less and less over the vanishing malo loincloth, and more and more over short trousers, and with less formal neck pendants and vesa arm and leg bands, these increasingly being made from greenery, and carrying more and more token clubs. These men have their faces blacked in various patterns - something less common in photographs of the immediate post-Christian generation, Christianity bringing once elaborate and often multicoloured face and body painting to an end.
Fiji government public relations photograph. [Fergus Clunie, 26/7/2003]

Place

Oceania Polynesia; Fiji

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

Raphael Tuck & Sons Ltd [Publishers]

Collector / Expedition

von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)

Date

circa 1920 - 1924

Collection Name

Von Hugel Collection

Source

Format

Postcard Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.87284.VH to P.87296.VH were in the print envelope now numbered C512/2/. This envelope came from the Museum’s paper archive envelope VH1/4/7, which has now been re-numbered C512/.

Publication: On Rod Ewins’ internet site ‘www.justpacific.com’:
““Gala dress.”
Tuck’s Post Card. Publisher Raphael Tuck & Sons Ltd., By Appointment. Copyright Fiji Government, Printed in England. No date but probably around1920. On the reverse is the caption: “These men are prepared for a ceremonial native dance”.
Specifically, as evidenced by their clubs, a club dance or mekewau. The strip skirts they are wearing are made of the bast of vau (Hibiscus tileaceus). The strips have been pleated by tightly folding, then staining with vegetable dye to give the variegated effect. The two men on the outside are evidently chiefs, wearing tabuluva headbands into which long ‘tails’ (itinisova) of masi barkcloth have been fixed - it is these that mark the men out as chiefs. In addition, the man on the left of the photograph wears the masi wala or barkcloth cummerbund high around his ribs as in warfare. The man on the right of the photo wears a significant length of barkcloth folded on itself and fixed to his waistband. All have their faces blackened for the mock war of the club dance - traditionally with the spores of a fungus (qumu - Polyporus sp.).” [A. Nadin, 2/7/2003]

Publication: A duplicate of this postcard is on the website ‘www.justpacific.com’ in the section concerning the photographs used on Fijian postcards. [A. Nadin, 2/7/2003]

Related Image: This print or negative appears to be a unique image within the MAA Photograph Collections. [JD 26/12/2011]

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