IDNO

P.99728.VH

Description

“Magiti, Waikava, 1876” - von Hugel’s caption.
F.H. Dufty photograph of the presentation of turtles for a magiti or feast at Waikava, Fawn Harbour, east of Savusavu on the south coast of Vanualevu, the occasion being the bosevakaturaga or council of chiefs meeting summoned by the governor, Sir Arthur Gordon, in November 1876.
The turtles have been piled before the chief’s house and are being accepted by a matanivanua or spokesman cum governing agent, who is wearing a white barkcloth ivauvau or hair wrapper. The chief Ratu Josefa Celua, Ratu Cakobau’s brother, being the bald-headed and bearded old gentleman sitting beside him. Large handbarrows containing more magiti enwrapped in coconut leaf matting - probably the baked pigs being unwrapped in P.99727.VH - are to the left of the turtles.
See P.87254.VH for a slightly later view of the same event, and also P.99727.VH. [Fergus Clunie, 14/7/2003]

Physical Condition: Print mounted onto card.

Place

Oceania Polynesia; Fiji; South Vanua Levu; Waikava; Fawn HArbour

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Ratu Josefa Celua

Photographer

Dufty, Francis Herbert (Dufty Brothers, Levuka)

Collector / Expedition

von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)

Date

November 1876

Collection Name

von Hügel Collection

Source

von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)

Format

Print Black & White Mounted

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.99725.VH to P.99758.VH were in the belted folder now numbered C539/1/. This was formerly kept in paper archive Large Box G; VH1/4/5. It has now been transferred to the photo archive. The lists describing the contents of this box have been returned to the Paper Archive.

MAA Exhibition: The original print was displayed in Chiefs and Grovernors: Art & Power in Fiji, May 2013 - April 2014. [JD 20/04/2014]

Related Image: This print or negative appears to be a unique image within the MAA Photograph Collections. [JD 26/11/2011]

This print has been catalogued with the support of the Getty Grant Fund. [A Nadin, 10/9/2003]