IDNO

P.87307.VH

Description

Studio portrait of “Na Buka Tavatava” (Nabukatavatava) a young and as yet untamed “Kai Colo” man from the highlands of Vitilevu. His massive head of hair has been pricked out into one of the huge bouffant coiffures or “big heads” of pre-Christian Fiji. Tucked in his hair, jutting out by his right cheek-bone, is the end of his imilamila or head-scratching needle. Round his neck is what looks like a doubled necklace of large dark beads, fronted at the throat by what looks like a wooden rondel, studded with a circlet of white trade beads, dangling several beaded tails, and overlying what may be a shell pendant. Several beaded strings dangle from the rondel. His left arm is bound with a chiefly malo or barkcloth wrapping above the elbow, his right by a vesa cord binding overlying a qato bracelet cut from sici or trochus shell. Round his waist is a sash of white barkcloth.
Early 1870s.
See P.87204. [Fergus Clunie, 26/7/2003]

Place

Oceania Polynesia; Fiji; Ovalau Island; Levuka

Cultural Affliation

Kai Colo [historically Big Head Mountaineers]

Named Person

Nabukatavatava (Na Buka Tavatava)

Photographer

Dufty Brothers, Levuka (Dufty, Francis Herbert)

Collector / Expedition

von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)

Date

circa 1870 - 1875

Collection Name

Von Hugel Collection

Source

Format

Carte-de-visite; Print Black & White Mounted

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.87297.VH to P.87320.VH were wrapped in the piece of paper now numbered C512/3/. This envelope came from the Museum’s paper archive envelope VH1/4/7, which has now been re-numbered C512/.

Publication: A photograph of the same man with another Kai Colo male (see P.87204) is on the website ‘www.pictureaustralia.org’. [AN 17/2/2003]

Publication: A carte-de-visite of the same man (and duplicate of P.87204., P.99981.VH, and P.109436.) is also held at the Fiji Museum, with the following information:
“Fiji Hill Tribe warriors with wigs (ulumate) photographed at the Dufty Studio in Suva. Dufty Collection, circa 1890.”
[Source: www.fijimuseum.org.fj/online_exibitions_glassplate_negatives.html, JD 10/3/2012]

Publication: A carte-de-visite of the same man (and duplicate of P.87204., P.99981.VH, and P.109436.) is also held at the National Library of Australia, reference nla.pic-an10975065-12, with the following information:
Creator: Dufty, Francis H., 1846-1910.
Title: Mountaineers from inland Viti Levu (Kai Colo people) [picture] / F.H. Dufty.
Date: between 1870 and 1879.
Extent: 1 photograph : carte de visite ; 8.6 x 5.5 cm.
Context: Part of Dufty, Francis H., 1846-1910. Panorama of Levuka, Fiji, and portraits [picture]
Series: Panorama of Levuka, Fiji, and portraits.
Summary: The two men are wearing wigs of human hair.--Information provided by Dr. R. Ewins; RO8/102782.
Notes: Mounted with a montage of 5 albumen prints forming a panorama, and 11 other carte-de-visite portraits of Fijian and Tongan Chiefs and people.
[Source: www.nla.gov.au, JD 9/3/2012]

Photographer: This print was provisionally attributed to “?Dufty Brothers, Levuka”, but a related print is published on the National Library of Australia website with the attribution to Francis Dufty. The Photographer field has been amended accordingly. [JD 9/3/2012]

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

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program One. [Alex Nadin, 17/2/2003]