IDNO

P.87315.VH

Description

Dufty studio photograph of two Fijian men.
Left: “Banuve” of “Moturiki” island, which lies off the southeast coast of Ovalau and which, as the name Banuve suggests, is closely affiliated to Bau. Banuve has flowers in his hair, a beaded necklet fronted by a small white cowry shell at the throat, and wears a smoked masikuvui shoulder sash or iwabale, with a long cloth isulu skirt, and round his waist above the isulu, a leather belt with sheath, knife and wallet pouch. He is holding a short gadi club of the type chiefs used to beat offenders and restore household order.
Right: “Saimoni” of “Navuso, Viti Levu”. Navuso is located on the Wailevu or Rewa river a few miles upstream of Nausori town. As is usual in Naitasiri, Saimone looks to have a good deal of Kai Colo or Vitilevu highland blood in his veins. He wears an elaborate cockfeather ornament at the back of his head, and has a beaded necklet with long, dangling beaded tails round his throat. Otherwise, apart from the incongruous-looking thin leather belt with its keyring and keys, Saimone [“Simon”] is dressed as a Christian warrior, with a fringed white barkcloth iwabale shoulder sash, an old-time white barkcloth malo loincloth, tied high up under his chest in the challenging or provocative malowala style, and a black likusausauwai overskirt with a decoratively woven waistband. He holds an iuladrisia throwing club. Behind the two men is an iirimasei chief’s or priest’s fan, made from a single leaf of the niumasei or fan-palm, Pritchardia pacifica. Note the photographer’s clamp.
Circa 1875-1876. [Fergus Clunie, 26/7/2003]

Place

Oceania Polynesia; Fiji; Ovalau Island; Levuka; Moturiki; Vitilevu; Navuso

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Banuve; Saimoni (Saimone; Simon)

Photographer

Dufty Brothers, Levuka (Dufty, Francis Herbert)

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 through the use of the sideboard with darker decorative scroll work and leaves? added to the plainer and paler base (see P.4920.ACH1 for same? sideboard undecorated). The sideboard is normally positioned to the left, and often appears with an ornate wooden box? on top. This configuration of studio props appears to be used by Dufty between circa 1875 - 1876. The same iirimasei chief’s or priest’s fan is also present in P.87455.VH, and appears to be a Dufty’s studio prop. The Photographer, Date, and Place fields have been amended accordingly. [JD 13/3/2012]

Related Image: This print or negative appears to be a unique image within the MAA Photograph Collections. [JD 27/12/2011]

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