IDNO

P.87377.VH

Description

Dufty studio portrait of a Fijian boy holding an iuladrisia throwing club. He is wearing a white shell necklace and has qato bracelet made from a sici or trochus shell above his left elbow. His colourfully patterned isulu wrap-around skirt is secured by a broad leather belt. Note the base of a photographer’s clamp behind his feet.
Levuka, circa 1875 - 1876. [Fergus Clunie, 26/7/2003]

Place

Oceania Polynesia; Fiji; Ovalau Island; Levuka

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

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.87352.VH to P.87387.VH were in the envelope now numbered C512/6/. 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 coconut leaf iiri or fan is 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]