IDNO

P.87311.VH

Description

Studio portrait of “Na Cagilevu”. See P.87306.VH; P.4107.ACH1. [Fergus Clunie, 26/7/2003]

Studio portrait of an elderly Christian chief, Ratu Nacagilevu of Kadavu, wearing a pinstripe shirt of a type by chiefs in the 1870s. He has a leather belt wallet showing beneath his waist sash, worn over a patterned cotton isulu wrap-around kilt. The lobe of his left ear has been pierced and expanded to accept a saunidaliga ear lobe ornament of the type demanded by the Fijian religion, but spurned and denigrated by the Wesleyans. See P.87306.VH.
Circa 1875-1876. [Fergus Clunie, 14/7/2003, from record P.4107.ACH1, JD 8/11/2011]

Physical Condition: Print mounted onto card.

Place

Oceania Polynesia; Fiji; Ovalau Island; Levuka; Kadavu

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Ratu Nacagilevu (Na Cagi Levu)

Photographer

Dufty, Francis Herbert (Dufty Brothers, Levuka)

Collector / Expedition

von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)

Date

circa 1875 - 1876

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/.

Photographer: Dufty’s Levuka studio is recognisable in the uncropped duplicate print, P.87306.VH, through his use of a wooden chair with turned legs in front of a 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]

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